Apple Tart

 

 "Place the quantity of apples to be used in a saucepan after peeling, coring, and slicing them. Add a little sugar and water together with some grated nutmeg and lemon peel. Cook until apples are tender and cool. Cover shallow pie dish with pastry, add apples. Put strips of pastry on top. Bake in moderate oven until crust is easily separated from dish. "

Strawberry Tart

 

This recipe screams to me that it is from Merry Meeting Farm as there were thick rich berry patches all around. 

Ingredients

 1 quart strawberries (can add peaches, raspberries, blueberries)

4 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup red wine

Process

 "Heat on the back of the stove and do not boil..."

well that just screams a wood heated stove!

"...Pour off juice and boil to reduce.

Pastry Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups rice flour, sifted. 

I cup butter, chopped fine

cold water 

 

"Mix with hands 1 and 1/2 cup rice flour, sifted, with 1 small cup butter until very fine. Add 2 dessert spoons of cold water. Put into a ball and throw back and forth for about 5 minutes. Roll out to the size of a pie plate. Fill with beans and bake in a hot oven for 25 minutes. Take out the beans. Sprinkle pastry lightly with powdered sugar. Just before serving put in berries. Pour juice over and sprinkle with powdered sugar. "

Puffed Pastry Tarts or Asparagus, salmon and egg tarts

 

These wonderful puffed pastry tarts were inspired by the cover page recipe on Hannaford's Fresh this spring. The recipe found HERE was the basis for our nice spring dinner soon after Easter.You have to prep the dough in advance and refrigerate before using so plan ahead. You also can keep the prepared dough ( (steps 1 through 4) at room temperature for up to 4 hours or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Ingredients - but also additional suggestions. 

1 (12-oz.) container plain whipped cream cheese

2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

2 sheets puff pastry (about 1 lb.), thawed

2 1/2 lb. small to medium asparagus spears

9 medium eggs

Salt and pepper

8 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Other topping options we did:

goat cheese
pickled red onions

sliced carrots (I used lacto-fermented ginger carrot slices) 

sliced tomato

Process:

1. On a lightly floured surface, cut each pastry sheet into quarters. Roll each piece into a 6x6" square, then trim with a paring knife to create even edges. Using the paring knife, score a 1" border around each square, being careful not to cut through dough.

2. Working one at a time, pierce area inside the border of each square all over with a fork. Transfer squares to two parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to assemble.

3. When ready to assemble,  Place racks in upper-middle and lower-middle of oven and heat to 400. 

4. Mix together cream cheese and chives in a small bowl and set aside. 

5. Cut asparagus into 4"-long spears. 

6. Beat 1 egg and brush along the border of each square.

7. Working inside the border, spread 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture in an even layer.

8. Arrange asparagus side by side on top of cream cheese, alternating the direction of the tips.

9.  Season with salt and pepper and bake until pastry edges are golden and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes.

10. Remove baking sheets from oven. Gently push centers of tarts down with the back of a spoon, then crack eggs into each indent. 

11.  Return to oven and bake until egg whites are just set, 12 to 14 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through. Top evenly with salmon and dill and serve immediately.

Mima’s Apple Tart

Since we are in the midst of apple season, it is time I get out all of my apple recipes! Mima is a great place to start.

Ingredients
Apples - peeled, cored and sliced
sugar
water
nutmeg
lemon peel
pastry shell

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place apples in a saucepan, with a little sugar and water, and gently simmer over medium heat.
3. Add nutmeg and lemon peel.
4. Cook until apples are tender.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Cover a shallow pie dish with pastry.
7. Add apples.
8. Cover top with strips of pastry.
9. Bake in oven until pastry separates from dish.

Strawberry Tart

This recipe was written as a cooking lesson from my Great grandmother Baba.

Ingredients
1 quart strawberries (or peaches, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
4 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup red wine
1.5 cups Rice flour
1 cup butter, softened
dried beans

Process

1. Preheat oven 300.
2. Heat strawberries, sugar, and wine on back of stove. Do not boil, pour of juice, and simmer to reduce.
3. Meanwhile to make the pastry, mix flour and butter with hands.
4. Add two dessert spoons cold water.
5. Pat into balls and then throw back and forth from hand to hand for 5 minutes.
6. Roll to the size of a pie plate.
7. Put in pie plate and fill with BEANS.
8. Bake in hot oven for 25 minutes.
9. Remove beans
10. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
11. Just before serving put in berries and pour juice over.
12. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Easy to make and perfectly delicious!