Gardens and Galettes (Butternut Squash with Caramelized Onion)


My original intention was to put together a little holiday gift post. But then I thought, "Good lord, do you know how many well-edited gift guides have already been posted?" Followed by "Do you know how unbelievably late in the season you are trying to put this together?" And "Don't you think that one of the best gifts you can bring your holiday host(ess)is the gift of food?"
So there you have it. A combination of intimidation, tardiness and rethinking caused me ditch my holiday gift guide idea. But had I included some cookbooks that you simply had to have, I would have included The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. 
I decided to make Deb's Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette which is on p. 99 of the book, though a scaled down version of it was previously posted on the Smitten Kitchen site about 5 years ago. The book recipe makes a much larger galette than I needed, so I decided to make a smaller version, which would still amply feed my family. It also allowed me to cut down on the incredible amount of butter needed for the larger galette crust (read: 16 tablespoons). Though I will admit, I firmly believe the holidays are about great friends, good wine, terrific conversation and lots of delicious food-- some of which contains a good deal of butter. 
This galette, which is like a free-form rustic tart, takes a bit of time to make. So when the boys went down for their nap, I put on some Chet Baker (I'm really feeling him these days), made myself a little cocktail and got to work.
The recipe I posted is a hybrid of the book recipe, the blog recipe and this post from Seven Spoons. I had enough Fontina in my fridge to grate 1 cup, but if you don't have enough on hand good substitutes for Italian Fontina are Gruyere and Emmentaler (maybe even Asiago). If you are thinking about using Fontinella, don't (I almost made that mistake). This American-made, semi-hard, pasteurized cow's milk cheese is not related to Fontina at all. They are completely different, so don't use it here. I also opted for thyme instead of sage, though both would work in this galette. 
The outcome was one down-right delicious meal. I have only one little caveat: don't rush the process. You really need to keep the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. Otherwise you'll end up with a bit of a mess once you start rolling it out.
Also, if you don't have a pastry blender (they are around $10), you can use a food processor to mix the dough. But be sure to use it on its lowest setting, and keep an eye on the texture-- you don't want to over-work the dough.
There's a bit of waiting time with this recipe but be patient, it's worth it. And if you bring it to a New Years Eve party, I'm pretty sure it'll be a hit!




Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette (Adapted slightly from this Smitten Kitchen post, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and Seven Spoons)
Yields: 1 9-inch galette, Serves 6
You can click on the Seven Spoons link above for the larger pie recipe.

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/4 pound)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 large Vidalia or Spanish (sweet) onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons

Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3/4 -1 cup grated Fontina cheese (about 2 1/2- 2 3/4 ounces). You could also use Gruyere.
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon of water, for optional glaze. (It gives the galette more of a croissant-looking finish.)

Preparation
To make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the stick of butter and, using a pastry blender, break up the bits of butter until the texture is like cornmeal, with the biggest pieces the size of pebbles. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water, and pour this over the butter-flour mixture. Stir with a spoon or a rubber spatula until a dough forms, kneading it once or twice on the counter if needed to bring it together. Do not over work the dough. Pat the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to two days.

Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt, some freshly ground black pepper and roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly. Leave the oven on.

Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Stir in cayenne. 

Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. (Optional: Brush the outside of the crust with the egg-yolk wash.)

Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. 


Now I've been consuming a lot of great food since Thanksgiving. We've had some wonderful meals, terrific desserts and a Fondue party, where there wasn't an ounce of restraint in sight. So we decided to take the kids on a hike in an effort to kind of "work it off" a little. I thought our last hike of the year was going to be this one near Boulder, but the weather turned out to be mild for another few days, so more hiking was in store. There really is nothing like fresh air, right?

The Garden of the Gods is a place we've been only once, so it was nice to be back. The rock formations are gorgeous and the views (you can see Pikes Peak, a 14,000 foot mountain) are spectacular. The hike itself is on a paved path so it's not exactly what I would call a rigorous trail, but it is a really nice place to take a walk. I hear there are more strenuous hikes in the area, which I hope to check out in the spring.
After our hike, we got in the car and started making our way back to Denver. We toyed with the idea of stopping by the 'Focus on the Family' headquarters and taking a family photo that was purposefully out of focus (something that is pretty much in-line with our sense of humor). And we thought that shot would make a pretty great image for our holiday card next year (if we can ever manage to get them out in time). But the boys were tired and so was I, so we just kept driving...
...and when we got home, I started thumbing through all those great cookbooks I've either purchased or been gifted over the past 12 months. And I started to menu plan...
I can't wait to share more recipes next year, but for now I'm signing off for the rest of 2012. 
Have a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year! Thank you for all the comments, the suggestions and the support. I has meant a lot to me.
See you in 2013!
Be well,
xoxo,
-Batya

Tomatina: A Tomato Fest (Tart and Soup)



A few years ago my husband and I took our (then) six-week old son to Spain. We travelled to Barcelona, Figures and Valencia. The food was incredible, the architecture was magnificent, and the people were kind. Let me tell you, Spain is my kind of country. 
Anyway, not too far from Valencia is a little town called Buñol. And every year, around this time, Tomatina takes place. Tens of thousands of revelers hit the streets and pound each other with tomatoes. 

The festival is in its 64th year, and I'm hoping that next summer we can go...maybe as a layover on the way back to the United States after we visit my brother and his family? It's a thought.

Well back here in Colorado I've got enough tomatoes to hold my own little Buñol-style festival in our backyard. But not wanting to be wasteful (and thinking it wouldn't be a good idea to pummel Otis, Theo and Omar with the season's bounty), I thought it best to turn them into these two dishes: a Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart and a Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup.

Motherhood got in the way of me grabbing the tart after it baked for 40 minutes...so it was slightly burnt, but it was still delicious! The soup was pure perfection. Tomatoes this time of year are simply amazing and I've got lots of them on hand. 

I’m also happy to report that my own tomato plants are finally starting to produce some fruit. I am so excited! Unfortunately we are moving in just a few days, so I will have to pick what is ripe and hope the rest don't die when I attempt a re-planting-transplant-procedure.  (If anyone has any tips on how to transplant tomatoes successfully, please, oh please, let me know!) We've got Green Zebras and Black Krims (or are they Black Zebras?). I can't remember because the little sign/name tag became sun bleached. I guess I'll be able to tell once they grow a bit more. I'm looking forward to trying lots of tomato recipes over the next few weeks...they just keep coming and coming! 

If you're in Colorado, check out some of the tomato festivals that are happening this weekend. Now nothing can compare to the scale and scope of Spain's festivities, but you can pick-up delicious produce, support local farms, taste some inspired dishes and have a great afternoon. I'm thinking about heading over to Ollin Farms on Sunday (Sept. 2), but we will see how the move goes. Boxes and tomatoes, boxes and tomatoes….
And so it goes! Enjoy.
xo



Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart (Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman, The New York Times, with Pâte Brisée/ Tart Dough recipe courtesy of Dorie Greenspan)
Serves 6
Ingredients
Pâte Brisée/ Tart Dough, chilled for 3 hours, and then rolled out in to a 10 inch pie pan (no par-baking)*

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped basil 
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 eggs

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan and line it with the pastry. Keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

2. Brush the mustard over the bottom of the dough. Slice the tomatoes and arrange over the mustard in concentric circles, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the herbs.

3. Beat together the eggs and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the tomatoes. Drizzle on the olive oil. Place in the oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
* Note: The original recipe uses this recipe for the pastry: 1 yeasted olive oil pastry (1/2 recipe). I decided to use a dough that I've used many times, mainly since I had all the ingredients in my pantry and didn't have to buy anything extra. I also wanted to go with something that I’ve deemed "fool proof."

* * *


Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup (Adapted slightly from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics)

Serves 5-6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons good olive oil 

1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions) 

2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped 

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves) 

4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large) 

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 

1 1/4 tablespoons tomato paste 
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves 

3 cups vegetable stock, homemade or good quality store-bought

1 tablespoon kosher salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
(add more to taste, original recipe uses 2 teaspoons) 
1/2 cup heavy cream 

Julienned fresh basil leaves, for garnish 

Croutons 

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender. 
Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left. (I don't have a food mill and so I used an immersion blender and it was just fine.) Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Inner Francophile: Spinach Quiche, Dorie Greenspan's Mustard Tart and The Yves St. Laurent Retrospective


When it was announced that the Yves Saint Laurent retrospective that wowed audiences at the Petit Palais in Paris two years ago would travel to Denver this week, and nowhere else in the United States, the question on many minds was: why Denver?
“America isn’t just New York or Los Angeles or Chicago or Boston,” said Pierre Bergé, Saint Laurent’s longtime partner in life and business and the head of the designer’s foundation. “Besides, Denver asked me. Voilà!” - New York Times, T Magazine, Blog

Looks like we moved out of Brooklyn and over to Denver at just the right time! I love museums-- permanent collections, special exhibits, retrospectives, Classical, Neo-Classical, the Classics, Abstract Expressionism, fashion, interiors and design, architecture...I love it all. So when I heard that the Denver Art Museum was the exclusive U.S. venue for the Yves St. Laurent retrospective, I was giddy with excitement. Positively giddy. G-I-D-D-Y. 
The "Big Sweep" by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, outside DAM.
Feeling the spirit of YSL, I toyed with the idea of wearing a wool pants suit for my museum visit. But it was really warm that day so it didn't seem terribly practical to be donning wool. Well that, and I was heading over to the exhibit straight from the kid's playground. So there I was, at the museum's biggest fashion event, dressed rather unfashionably. But who cares, right? I was there! Yes, I was there, enjoying the exhibit, for over two hours, sans children. 
There is no photography allowed inside the venue, so you will have to take my word on this-- the retrospective was wonderful. Magnificent, really. The presentation, curation and collection were impeccable. I may have to go back one more time...
Now it doesn't take much for me to get in touch with my inner Francophile, so in honor of Yves, I decided to make two quiches this week. And get this-- I made the dough too. Oh yes. Mais oui! I rolled out some pâte brisée, which literally means "short pastry." And I did it twice. Turns out that making tart dough isn't difficult at all, you just have to be mindful that it needs to chill for three hours before you can actually use it.
I decided to go with a spinach quiche (originally from Bon Appetit Magazine) and a mustard tart (from Dorie Greenspan's tome, Around My French Table). I followed Dorie's recipe for pâte brisée as well. 
I decided to parbake both crusts for 20 minutes, with oiled foil on top (more on this below), and then let the pies bake an additional 2 minutes once the foil was removed. In retrospect, I should have let them bake a few minutes longer. I think the crust would have been a bit more flaky. That said, all in all, it was a very successful (first!) attempt at making homemade quiche. 
So here they are. I hope you enjoy the recipes. And if you find yourself in Denver before July 8th, definitely visit the Denver Art Museum's retrospective on YSL.
I'm off to channel Catherine Deneuve...and hoping that Netflix delivers Belle De Jour lickety-split.
Au revoir! 
Pâte Brisée/ Tart Dough (Courtesy of Dorie Greenspan, Around My French Table)
Yield: Makes one 9 - to 9 ½-inch tart shell
Be prepared: The dough should chill for at least 3 hours.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ice water

Method
To make the dough in a food processor: Put the flour, sugar and salt in the processor and whir a few times to blend. Scatter the bits of butter over the flour and pulse several times, until the butter is coarsely mixed into the flour. Beat the egg with the ice water and pour it into the bowl in 3 small additions, whirring after each one. (Don’t overdo it — the dough shouldn’t form a ball or ride on the blade.) You’ll have a moist, malleable dough that will hold together when pinched. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn’t come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it lightly), and flatten it into a disk.

To make the dough by hand: Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drop in the bits of butter and, using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is evenly distributed. You’ll have large and small butter bits, and that’s fine — uniformity isn’t a virtue here. Beat the egg and water together, drizzle over the dough, and, using a fork, toss the dough until it is evenly moistened. Reach into the bowl and, using your fingertips, mix and knead the dough until it comes together. Turn it out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn’t come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it some more), and flatten it into a disk. 

Chill the dough for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)
When you’re ready to make the tart shell, butter a 9- to 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom (butter it even if it’s nonstick).

To roll out the dough: I like to roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a lightly floured rolling cover, but you can roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. If you’re working between sheets of paper or plastic wrap, lift the paper or plastic often so that it doesn’t roll into the dough, and turn the dough over frequently. If you’re just rolling on the counter, make sure to lift and turn the dough and reflour the counter often. The rolled-out dough should be about ¼ inch thick and at least 12 inches in diameter.
Transfer the dough to the tart pan, easing it into the pan without stretching it. (What you stretch now will shrink in the oven later.) Press the dough against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If you’d like to reinforce the sides of the crust, you can fold some of the excess dough over, so that you have a double thickness around the sides. Using the back of a table knife, trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Prick the base of the crust in several places with a fork.

Chill — or freeze — the dough for at least 1 hour before baking.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Press a piece of buttered foil (or use nonstick foil) against the crust’s surface. If you’d like, you can fill the covered crust with rice or dried beans (which will be inedible after this but can be used for baking for months to come) to keep the dough flat, but this isn’t really necessary if the crust is well chilled. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and put the tart pan on the sheet.

To partially bake the crust: Bake for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove the foil (with the rice or beans). Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is lightly golden. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.
To fully bake the crust: Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until it is an even golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to cool before you fill it.
Storing: Well wrapped, the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Although the fully baked crust can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months, I prefer to freeze the unbaked crust in the pan and bake it directly from the freezer — it has a fresher flavor. Just add about 5 minutes or so to the baking time.

* * *

Gérard’s Mustard Tart (Courtesy of Dorie Greenspan, Printed in The New York Times, Diner's Journal
Be sure to use strong mustard from Dijon. Dorie's friend Gérard Jeannin uses Dijon’s two most popular mustards in his tart: smooth, known around the world as Dijon, and grainy or old-fashioned, known in France as “à l’ancienne.” You can use either one or the other, or you can adjust the proportions to match your taste, but whatever you do, make sure your mustard is fresh, bright colored, and powerfully fragrant. Do what Gérard would do: smell it first. If it just about brings tears to your eyes, it’s fresh enough for this tart.
Ingredients
3 carrots (not too fat), trimmed and peeled
3 thin leeks, white and light green parts only, cut lengthwise in half and washed
2 rosemary sprigs
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, or to taste
2 tablespoons grainy mustard, preferably French, or to taste
Salt, preferably fleur de sel, and freshly ground white pepper
1 9- to 9½-inch tart shell made from Tart Dough (recipe above), partially baked and cooled
Method
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Cut the carrots and leeks into slender bâtons or sticks: First cut the carrots lengthwise in half, then place the halves cut side down on the cutting board and cut crosswise in half or cut into chunks about 3 inches long. Cut the pieces into 1/ 8- to 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks. If your carrots were fat and you think your matchsticks don’t look svelte enough, cut them lengthwise in half. Cut the leeks in the same way.
Fit a steamer basket into a saucepan. Pour in enough water to come almost up to the steamer, cover, and bring to a boil. Drop the carrots, leeks, and 1 rosemary sprig into the basket, cover, and steam until the vegetables are tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the vegetables and pat them dry; discard the rosemary sprig.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together with the crème fraîche or heavy cream. Add the mustards, season with salt and white pepper — mustard has a tendency to be salty, so proceed accordingly — and whisk to blend. Taste and see if you want to add a little more of one or the other mustards.

Put the tart pan on the lined baking sheet and pour the filling into the crust. Arrange the vegetables over the filling — they can go in any which way, but they’re attractive arranged in spokes coming out from the center of the tart. Top with the remaining rosemary sprig and give the vegetables a sprinkling of salt and a couple of turns of the pepper mill.

Bake the tart for about 30 minutes, or until it is uniformly puffed and lightly browned here and there and a knife inserted into the center of the custard comes out clean. Transfer the tart to a cooling rack and let it rest for 5 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.
Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature (or lightly chilled).
Serving: The tart is delicious just out of the oven, warm, at room temperature, or even slightly chilled — although that wouldn’t be Gérard’s preference, I’m sure. If you’re serving it as a starter, cut it into 6 portions; if it’s the main event, serve it with a lightly dressed small salad.
Storing: Like all tarts, this is best soon after it is made, but leftovers can be covered, chilled, and nibbled on the next day.

* * *

Spinach Quiche (Courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine and Smitten Kitchen, with a modification or two...)
Ingredients
4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup half and half (or milk)
3 eggs
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup grated cheddar (you could use Gruyere too)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 green onions, thinly sliced 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in half and half and eggs. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Yukon Gold Potato and Leek Quiche with Fromage Blanc


At the last minute I decided to change this Food & Wine recipe into a quiche (a baked pie/tart) instead of a frittata (an open face omelette).   
You can use a simple pie crust recipe or a high-quality frozen crust, just let it get to room temperature before filling it. I was feeling like having something flakey, but this dish without the crust would be perfectly delicious. The next time I make this quiche I might add mushrooms or spinach. It's just a thought.  
I think it would go nicely with a sauvignon blanc. It goes very well with arugula salad too---  I used a leftover cider vinaigrette, cut up some hearts of palm and added it to the greens. It hit the spot! 

Yukon Gold Potato, Leek and Fromage Blanc Frittata (Adapted from Food & Wine)
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled (3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used about about a tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper-- but adjust to your liking)
10 large eggs (If you are making a quiche, you can use 5 eggs and 1/2 the milk)
1/3 cup whole milk
4 ounces fromage blanc or 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch dice.
In a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the leeks and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes without stirring. 
[My modification:  I added the diced potatoes to the leeks and mixed over medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Then I seasoned with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust accordingly.   I added the leek and potato mixture to the pie crust (once the crust was cool) and then added the egg mixture.] 
Dollop the fromage blanc or sprinkle the feta cheese over the leeks and potatoes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set in the center, about 18 minutes. Slide the frittata [quiche] onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.