Ms. Glaze's Pommes d'Amour

Tarte Fine Aux Pommes

Nope, I did not inject pink food coloring into those apples. And no, that is not bologna on puff pastry. Those are pink pearl apples gracing the top of flaky pâte feuilletée!



Tarte fine is just what it sounds like: fine tart. It is made with puff pastry and thin layers of fruit spiraling around the top.

The pink pearl apples I bought from Dave Hale, owner of the famous Hale's Apple Farm in Sebastopol, California.

Dave sells his apples (in person) at the Palo Alto farmer's market on Saturdays and the Marin Civic Center Market on Thursdays and Sundays. If you want to keep him on your sweet side then bring by samples of your apple creations.

He really enjoys seeing what people do with his produce and he carries many varieties of apples, not just the pink pearls.

I made a video on how to make puff pastry a few years ago with my friend Tselani who writes the popular blog Chez Tse. Check it out if you want a few laughs along with your pastry lesson. It was a very hot day and we polished off a bottle of champagne before filming.

Moral of the story? If we can make puff pastry inebriated in 100˚F weather, then so can anyone!

My Dad says this apple tart needs a scoop of soft vanilla ice cream to go alongside. I think he's just looking for excuses to polish of the Ben & Jerry's.

And he keeps insisting that he needs another slice to see if he "really likes it".

Excuses, excuses. (sigh)

Dave Hale's Apple Ranch
1526 Gravenstein Hwy North in Sebastopol. About 1 mile north of the city limits on State Hwy 116 (Gravenstein Hwy); open daily 9 to 5 during apple season. Phone 707-823-4613.

Technorati Tags: apples, how to make puff pastry, pink, pink pearl apples, puff pastry, tarte fine, tarte fine aux pommes

Fava Beans, Watermelon Radish, & Hailibut with Beurre Blanc Sauce

I love fava beans. They're so darned cute and tasty. And they're such a pain in the butt to prep. But as legendary farmer Dominic of Muzzi Farm's explained to me in his thick Italian accent: Those things that take time to prepare are always worth the effort.

I'm not sure if he was really referring to farming or shelling pounds of beans. Nonethess, I'd have to agree. Fava beans are worth it. And I look forward to them every summer.

And I always look forward to talking with Dominic who has been farming in Northern California for at least half a century. He's got great stories to tell about his family's migration from Southern Italy to America.

Fava beans and radish are a common pairing. I've eaten many herb salads with shaved radish and favas. Not so common is the use of watermelon radish which is often difficult to find, but it's so pretty and spicy that it makes any dish pop with color and flavor.

Beurre blanc is one of the great French sauces mostly used for fish made of a white wine, vinegar, and shallot reduction finished with a ton of butter.

I mean a TON of butter – about two sticks of butter for one cup of wine reduction.

There is no cream in beurre blanc. None, zip, zilch. If you add cream to stabilize it, then you're cheating!!!! It should taste and look creamy but it is a butter sauce, not a cream sauce. I've written in my tricks for keeping the sauce stabilized in the recipe sans cream.

I've been trekking out to Dominic's Farm for peas, strawberries and corn since I was a little girl. He's located at 950 La Honda Road, just east of the San Gregorio Store along the beautiful Northern California coastline, and is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

Look for the hand painted signs, pull in at the shed, and don't be surprised if two happy ferocious looking farm dogs run up to greet you!

Technorati Tags: beurre blanc, fava beans, halibut, recipe, watermelon radish

Sweet Pepper & Goat Cheese Tart with Parmesan Black Pepper Crust

I have no idea how the French farmer I bought these beautiful peppers from ended up working with Happy Quail farm in Northern California.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed chatting en français and practicing the one skill I'm quite good at in French: grocery shopping.

After three years of living in Paris here's what I can do: give and take an order in the kitchen, shop for food, ask where the toilette is, order from a menu, get directions, and swear like a sailor.

What can I say? I learned my French in the kitchen. Anything on God, philosophy, or politics is just a big question mark.

Happy Quail's peppers are impressive: sweet Basque fryers (doux long des Landes), spicy purple and brown bells, super sweet Hungarian bells in light cream and red, banana yellows, Cubanelles, and the famous Spanish Piquillos that normally can only be found roasted in cans or jars.

I paid $8 for 4 peppers. I know, outrageous, right?!? I thanked the French farmer, wished him a bonne journée, then turned and gasped for air.

Perhaps I should have practiced some of my swear words instead, but I'm sure growing organic peppers is a costly business.

This tart is all about highlighting the sweet pepper flavors instead of masking them in a stew or as a side dish. The crust is a simple pâte brisée with added black pepper and parmesan that gets a thick slather of pesto before the goat cheese filling is added.

The topping is nothing but peppers in all different colors and flavors with red onions and chili flakes for extra kick.

Serve along side a big green salad and a nice glass of red or white wine.

Technorati Tags: bell peppers, goat cheese tart, heirloom, parmesan black pepper crust, recipe, tart

Pink Pearl Apple Cups with Fromage Blanc

Pink pearl's are the coolest apples on the planet. Why? Because they are pink!

I used to have a Pink Pearl apple tree in my backyard and that's the only reason I even know about them. The trees are just as striking as the fruit with bright pink blossoms that attract lots of bees.

These fuchsia fleshed beauties have an extremely short growing period (mid August through early September) so if you're lucky enough to find them, buy a whole bushel.

Pink pearl's are sweet and mouth puckering tart at the same time. Even more so than granny smith and pippin so they are fantastic for making PINK apple tarts, apple sauce, and apple appetizers.

The idea for the apple cups came from Chef François Payard who often finds creative ways to present mini bites. Every time I have made these cups, whether with regular apples or pink pearl's, I get rave reviews. They just dissolve magically when you bite into them.

To make the cups slice the apples thin on a mandoline, dip in simple syrup, and dry out in the oven until they feel like leather.

While they are still warm from the oven, press the slices gently into a mini muffin pan and voilà you have a little cute cup to stuff with whatever tickles you pink.

(I used fromage blanc and crème fraîche with a little brunoise of pink pearl apples, celery, and proscuitto)

Technorati Tags: appetizer, appetizers, fromage blanc, pink, pink pearl apples, rabbit, recipe

Tempura Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Scallops, Lemon, & Basil

Zucchini plants turn into monstrous godzilla-like creatures with hairy arms and ever expanding green tubes that quickly take over garden space and, even worse, the vegetable bin in my refrigerator.

I'm pretty sure one little zucchini plant could feed the Northern Hemisphere – if not the world.

When I see a zucchini recipe I file it immediately because I know some day when I have a garden again I will undoubtedly get sick of stuffed zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini stir-fry, and zucchini soup.

The flowers are something I never get sick of and thankfully I have no remorse picking the blossoms because they're so tasty.

Delicate and sweet with a tiny hint of bitterness, the flowers make a fantastic match for scallops. Add a little fresh pesto and some lemon zest for that Mediterranean summertime appeal and deep fry in light tempura batter for crispiness.

More zucchini flower recipes:
Zucchini Flowers stuffed with Lobster Risotto
Zucchini Flower Beignets
Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Technorati Tags: scallops, stuffed zucchini flowers, tempura, zucchini, zucchini flowers

Pastry Cream: Tart aux Figues

Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is a pastry chef's signature filling. These sage words came from one of France's Meilleur Ouvrier Pastry chefs.

I asked him "why" because to me pastry cream is just pastry cream. Disappointed in my lack of appreciation, he told me: "Every pastry chef makes pastry cream, but how he makes it and what he flavors it with is his signature".

The Chef went on to explain how the texture should be creamy not grainy or lumpy, sweet but not overpowering, and flavored with the essence that most pleases the chef.

He liked to put rum in his pastry cream – a lot of rum.

Not entirely a rum fan (too many mojitos over the years, and too many nights over the toilet bowl) I asked what else I could flavor the cream with. He suggested: fleur d'orange, an exotic vanilla, amaretto, cointreau, or lemon.

I chose lemon to be my "signature" because I think it pairs nicely with fruit. And I prefer fruit desserts to everything except maybe a really decadent chocolate cake.

Figs are in season and they are one of the sexiest fruits on the planet – fleshy and sweet with an intoxicating perfume. Pair them with creamy lemon-y pastry cream and you have kama sutra on a plate.

Technorati Tags: crème pâtissière, fig tart, figs, fruit, pastry, pastry cream, pâte brisée, recipe, tart

Sweet Corn Mini Madeleines with Smoked Salmon & Crème Fraîche

The only time I have ever cried at Le Cordon Bleu was after an embarrassing madeleine cookie failure in my basic pâtisserie course.

Due to post traumatic stress disorder, I rarely make the buttery cake-like cookie because mine seldom turn out with that little bump that signifies a well baked madeleine.

These mini fresh corn madeleine sandwiches are easy and there's no need to worry about the little 'top knot' because no one can see it. Cut it off and make a sandwich or leave it on and place the accouterments on top.

Either way these savory mini cakes stuffed with crème fraîche and smoked salmon are mouth popping tasty. And they go perfectly with a glass of cold champagne.

Try Ruinart blanc de blanc if you are looking for a beautiful and unusual pairing.

Technorati Tags: appetizer, corn, French, madeleine, smoked salmon, sweet