Monday, November 9, 2009
(read) RECIPE FOR "TARTE FLAMBEE" and my favorite SALADE FRANCAISE
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted and kept chilled (thaw in the fridge from the previous day).
On the actual day you are going to make the Tarte Flambee:
- Preheat baking tray or stone in oven at 425.
- 1 Cup onions, sliced thin
- 4 oz bacon, cubed or chopped
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese or large curd cottage cheese
- 2 oz creamy white goat cheese, softened
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche (in France). You can substitute with sour cream elsewhere
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Saute the bacon until fat is melted down.
- Add the onions, and cook for another 3 minutes in the bacon fat. (I added a shy pinch of salt to the onions).
- In your food processor, combine sour cream (creme fraiche), cheese and 1 Tablespoon of flour. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt & pepper.
- With a rubber spatula, smoothe the creme fraiche mixture over the thinly rolled out puff pastry onto the preheated stone or baking tray.
- Now, add your onions and bacon.
BAKE at 425 F until puffed pastry has become golden brown at the edges, and the cheese topping is bubbling.
Pull it out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you cut it into wedges.
We like to eat our Tarte Flambee with my favorite fresh green Salad tossed in home-made French dressing. (enough for 4 people):
- 1 bag spring lettuce mix (containing frisee lettuce).
- Toast a handful of walnuts
- Shred about 1/4 cup of Gryere Cheese.
DRESSING:
- 1 teaspoon of grainy mustard
- 2 Tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
- 5 Tablespoons of walnut oil
- Toss all ingredients together with the dressing...and... voila, votre salade Francaise!!
On the actual day you are going to make the Tarte Flambee:
- Preheat baking tray or stone in oven at 425.
- 1 Cup onions, sliced thin
- 4 oz bacon, cubed or chopped
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese or large curd cottage cheese
- 2 oz creamy white goat cheese, softened
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup creme fraiche (in France). You can substitute with sour cream elsewhere
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Saute the bacon until fat is melted down.
- Add the onions, and cook for another 3 minutes in the bacon fat. (I added a shy pinch of salt to the onions).
- In your food processor, combine sour cream (creme fraiche), cheese and 1 Tablespoon of flour. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt & pepper.
- With a rubber spatula, smoothe the creme fraiche mixture over the thinly rolled out puff pastry onto the preheated stone or baking tray.
- Now, add your onions and bacon.
BAKE at 425 F until puffed pastry has become golden brown at the edges, and the cheese topping is bubbling.
Pull it out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you cut it into wedges.
We like to eat our Tarte Flambee with my favorite fresh green Salad tossed in home-made French dressing. (enough for 4 people):
- 1 bag spring lettuce mix (containing frisee lettuce).
- Toast a handful of walnuts
- Shred about 1/4 cup of Gryere Cheese.
DRESSING:
- 1 teaspoon of grainy mustard
- 2 Tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
- 5 Tablespoons of walnut oil
- Toss all ingredients together with the dressing...and... voila, votre salade Francaise!!
(read) .AN INTRODUCTION TO "TARTE FLAMBEE"
"Tarte Flambee" is to the Northern Alsace Region what pizza is for Southern Italy. Tarte Flambee is kind of an extremely thin bread dough or very thinly rolled puff pastry dough, covered with creme fraiche, onions, soft creamy cheese and crisp bacon pieces.
In the Alsatian dialect is called = Flammekueche
In German is called = Flammkuchen
In French is called = Tarte Flambee
(Recipe to follow, NEXT)
In the Alsatian dialect is called = Flammekueche
In German is called = Flammkuchen
In French is called = Tarte Flambee
(Recipe to follow, NEXT)
JUST A TINY BIT OF INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF "QUICHE LORRAINE".
Although Quiche is now considered to be a classic French cuisine dish, quiche actually originated in Germany, in the medieval Kingdom of Lothringen, under German Rule, and with the French later renamed "Lorraine" in the Lorraine Franconians dialect spoken in the Alsatian Region. The word "Quiche" came from the German word "Kuchen" which means "Cake".
The original "Quiche Lorraine" was an open pie with a filling of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added. To this, you add onions and you have the "QUICHE ALSATIENNE. The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, but that was later replaced (by the French) with a SHORT CRUST or PUFF PASTRY CRUST.
The original "Quiche Lorraine" was an open pie with a filling of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. It was only later that cheese was added. To this, you add onions and you have the "QUICHE ALSATIENNE. The bottom crust was originally made from bread dough, but that was later replaced (by the French) with a SHORT CRUST or PUFF PASTRY CRUST.
Friday, November 6, 2009
LET ME GIVE YOU SOME INFO ON THE ALSACE WINE ROUTE..as this is actually where we live.
The Alsace Wine Route is famous all over the world for the exceptional natural beauty and its scenery, for how easy it is to follow and for the way it makes the visitor feel close to the Region and its Wine Growers.
Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in France, and is blessed with a semi continental climate, sunny, hot and dry.
Situated on the Sub-Vosgean Foothills, at an altitude of 200-400 metres, the vineyards take maximum advantage of their exposure to the sun, particularly as the wines are trained along high wires. These specific advantages of the Alsace vineyards favourise the slow extending ripening of the grapes, giving wines with very elegant, complex aromas.
The Geology of Alsace is a real mosaic of soils, made up of granite, limestone, gneiss, schist, and many more. Such a wide variety of soils, covering about 15.500 hectars, helps bring out the finest characteristics of each grape variety.
The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from North to South for more than 170 kilometres, along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. The delightful itinerary runs across a succession of hills, through pretty villages with narrow streets of flower decked, half timbered houses, clustered around their church steeple.
Sheltered from oceanic influence by the Vosges mountains, the Alsace wine region enjoys practically the lowest rainfall in France, and is blessed with a semi continental climate, sunny, hot and dry.
Situated on the Sub-Vosgean Foothills, at an altitude of 200-400 metres, the vineyards take maximum advantage of their exposure to the sun, particularly as the wines are trained along high wires. These specific advantages of the Alsace vineyards favourise the slow extending ripening of the grapes, giving wines with very elegant, complex aromas.
The Geology of Alsace is a real mosaic of soils, made up of granite, limestone, gneiss, schist, and many more. Such a wide variety of soils, covering about 15.500 hectars, helps bring out the finest characteristics of each grape variety.
The Alsace Wine Route winds its way from North to South for more than 170 kilometres, along the eastern foothills of the Vosges. The delightful itinerary runs across a succession of hills, through pretty villages with narrow streets of flower decked, half timbered houses, clustered around their church steeple.
DISCOVER ALSACE WINES-DRINK ALSACE!!
Alsace wines' purity of fruit, good activity and low levels of tannin make them the perfect accompaniment for a host of cuisine styles including Chinese, Indian, Thai, Japanese and many more.
Versatile Riesling is the ideal match for delicate dishes across the board.
The sweeter or hotter the dish is, the sweeter and richer the wine sould be. But, with the Alsace whites made in a variety of styles that range from bone dry to lusciously sweet, there should be something that's just right, whatever you are planning to eat.
A number of grape varieties are permitted in Alsace, including Pinot Noir (the only permitted red grape of the region), Muscat and Sylvaner. But, foremost among the Region's grapes are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurtzraminer.
Versatile Riesling is the ideal match for delicate dishes across the board.
The sweeter or hotter the dish is, the sweeter and richer the wine sould be. But, with the Alsace whites made in a variety of styles that range from bone dry to lusciously sweet, there should be something that's just right, whatever you are planning to eat.
A number of grape varieties are permitted in Alsace, including Pinot Noir (the only permitted red grape of the region), Muscat and Sylvaner. But, foremost among the Region's grapes are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurtzraminer.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
My potluck QUICHE LORRAINE with vegetables seasoned with thyme, tarragon (estragon)
This is a recipe that I created one day, when I opened my refrigerator and discovered a zucchini, a small shallot, a plum tomato, all left in the drawer, God knows from when, but still good to use-a container of lardons (cut up pieces of raw bacon, in France) we had bought weeks before, and not to mention that flat of eggs, fully stocked. The "creme fraiche" has never been missing out of our fridge since we discovered it. I had that, too. Also, a roll of storebought flacky puff pastry dough was lying on one of the shelves, as I never used it. My spice rack is stocked with a few of my favorite spices. Among them, that day, I saw that I had thyme, I had estragon (or tarragon), nutmeg and believe it or not, I even had white pepper. Without realizing it, I was already on my way to preparing our literally "potluck" quiche lunch.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Pie pastry-phyllo dough- forzen puff pastry will be great-follow directions for thawing. I used
the storebought refrigerated puff pastry pie crust, which came out really nice and flaky. The ALSACIAN recipe calls for SHORT CRUST or PUFF PATRY
2. 5 slices of bacon, cooked, crisped and crumbled.
(If you have any left over HAM, you could cube it or dice it-BUT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COOK AGAIN OR CRISPEN IT).
3. 3 Large eggs and 1 egg yolk
4. 1 and 1/2 cups of whipping cream, or half&Half, or combiation of both . I used CREME FRAICHE liquid.
5. 1 Tablespoon of butter,(or combo of 1/2 Tablespoon butter and 1/2 Tablespoon oil).
6. 1 small shallot, minced, or, 1/4 cup of chopped scallions.
7. 1 plum tomato flesh, diced - the red dices gently break the yellow color of the custard
8. 1 zucchini, diced
9. 1 cup of grated swiss cheese, or, combination of swiss and white cheddar. I used EMENTAL.
10. 1/2 teaspoon salt-1/4 teaspoon pepper-1/4 teaspoon white pepper
11. A 1/4 teaspoon of thyme - 1/2 teaspoon estragon whch is actually tarragon (I even add a little bit more of it-I love it in the eggs)-plus, less than a pinch of nutmeg (optional).
- Preheat oven to 375 F (200 C).
- Roll out pastry in a pie pan, or into a removable bottom cake pan. ..either way, covering up the
sides. I used a quiche ceramic pan (see picture).
- REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes. TAKE it OUT, and PRICK dough with a fork, LINE it with parchment
paper, FILL it with dry beans,(I used my 4 small ramicans for weight), and BAKE for 12 minutes. (I actually placed the pan on a lower
rack in the oven). Remove parchment paper and beans (or the weight you will be using), and continue baking for additional 6-8
minutes, or until light golden brown (don't let it turn dark brown). REMOVE from the oven, and
let cool.
- In 1 Tablespoon of butter, sautee lightly the shallot adding in the diced zucchini.
Continue cooking until zucchini is softish (don't overcook).
- Arrange the bacon over the bottom of the baked pastry.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and cream.
- Fold in all remaining ingredients (zucchini & shallot mixture, tomato dices, cheese, herbs and
spices).
- EMPTY mixture into the prepared crust.
- BAKE until the custard is golden, puffed and set, but still slightly wiggly in the center. (In my
oven, I bake it no more than 30-35 minutes).
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Our lunch that day was accompanied by a simple green salad with vinegraite dressing, and elevated with a glass of "Tokay d'Alsace" wine from our wine collection.
"Sante!!!"
SALAD WITH VINEGRAITTE DRESSING:
- 1 bag spring mix lettuce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 a teaspoon of sherry- (If you happen to have sherry in your kitchen cabinet)
(optional).
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a glass bowl to blend. Then, add the spring mix, and toss gently.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Pie pastry-phyllo dough- forzen puff pastry will be great-follow directions for thawing. I used
the storebought refrigerated puff pastry pie crust, which came out really nice and flaky. The ALSACIAN recipe calls for SHORT CRUST or PUFF PATRY
2. 5 slices of bacon, cooked, crisped and crumbled.
(If you have any left over HAM, you could cube it or dice it-BUT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COOK AGAIN OR CRISPEN IT).
3. 3 Large eggs and 1 egg yolk
4. 1 and 1/2 cups of whipping cream, or half&Half, or combiation of both . I used CREME FRAICHE liquid.
5. 1 Tablespoon of butter,(or combo of 1/2 Tablespoon butter and 1/2 Tablespoon oil).
6. 1 small shallot, minced, or, 1/4 cup of chopped scallions.
7. 1 plum tomato flesh, diced - the red dices gently break the yellow color of the custard
8. 1 zucchini, diced
9. 1 cup of grated swiss cheese, or, combination of swiss and white cheddar. I used EMENTAL.
10. 1/2 teaspoon salt-1/4 teaspoon pepper-1/4 teaspoon white pepper
11. A 1/4 teaspoon of thyme - 1/2 teaspoon estragon whch is actually tarragon (I even add a little bit more of it-I love it in the eggs)-plus, less than a pinch of nutmeg (optional).
- Preheat oven to 375 F (200 C).
- Roll out pastry in a pie pan, or into a removable bottom cake pan. ..either way, covering up the
sides. I used a quiche ceramic pan (see picture).
- REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes. TAKE it OUT, and PRICK dough with a fork, LINE it with parchment
paper, FILL it with dry beans,(I used my 4 small ramicans for weight), and BAKE for 12 minutes. (I actually placed the pan on a lower
rack in the oven). Remove parchment paper and beans (or the weight you will be using), and continue baking for additional 6-8
minutes, or until light golden brown (don't let it turn dark brown). REMOVE from the oven, and
let cool.
- In 1 Tablespoon of butter, sautee lightly the shallot adding in the diced zucchini.
Continue cooking until zucchini is softish (don't overcook).
- Arrange the bacon over the bottom of the baked pastry.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolk, and cream.
- Fold in all remaining ingredients (zucchini & shallot mixture, tomato dices, cheese, herbs and
spices).
- EMPTY mixture into the prepared crust.
- BAKE until the custard is golden, puffed and set, but still slightly wiggly in the center. (In my
oven, I bake it no more than 30-35 minutes).
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Our lunch that day was accompanied by a simple green salad with vinegraite dressing, and elevated with a glass of "Tokay d'Alsace" wine from our wine collection.
"Sante!!!"
SALAD WITH VINEGRAITTE DRESSING:
- 1 bag spring mix lettuce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 a teaspoon of sherry- (If you happen to have sherry in your kitchen cabinet)
(optional).
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a glass bowl to blend. Then, add the spring mix, and toss gently.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
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