Tabbouleh with mint, honeydew melon and prosciutto

Whether you spell it tabbouleh, tabouleh, tabouli or even tabuli, you will love this light and fruity version!  A staple in the Middle East, tabbouleh is a cold salad often found on meze plates.  Tabbouleh is made with bulgur, a whole grain wheat that has been parboiled, dried, crushed and sorted by size.  It is very high in fiber and protein and a perfect food for those watching their calorie intake - i.e., someone like me! 

I have recently formed a Biggest Loser contest with 16 of my lovely friends with the hopes of shedding the twenty, yes 20, or so pounds that I have gained since starting my blog!  The effect of sitting in front of a computer for hours on end and ingesting more calories than my typing fingers can burn has shown its ugly side.  Yeast dough, chocolate ganache, and the pleasing glass of wine in hand while I cooked will be replaced by healthier options until such time as I win this thing…and that bundle of money to be awarded!   (I am normally not very competitive but I seem to be showing my ugly side so let’s get back to tabbouleh…after all, this is a food blog and I have a job to do!)

With temperatures well into the 90’s here in Texas, tabbouleh is the perfect summer salad because stovetop heat is not needed to cook it.   It rehydrates and softens within 30 minutes with the simple addition of cold water.   Available in most grocery stores, bulgur comes in different sizes and ‘fine’ (#1) bulgur is the choice for tabbouleh. 

My garden is about to be overtaken by mint and I have been thinking of ways to use it in the kitchen.  Here it replaces parsley, the traditional herb of choice in tabbouleh.  I have never been a fan of cucumbers so they’ve been tossed for flavorful honeydew melon…and since melon and prosciutto go hand-in-hand I guarantee that you will love a few thin slices with the salad.

You may be questioning my choice of honeydew melon over one with less sugar (cantaloupe).   A girl’s got to get her vitamins and honeydew melon is very high in vitamin C and potassium.  Surprisingly, it’s high water content results in only 60 calories per cup!

Tabbouleh with mint, honeydew melon and prosciutto

Adapted from Gourmet, July 2006.  Original recipe by Melissa Roberts-Matar

1 cup cold water
¾ cup fine bulgur (5 oz)
1½ cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1½ cups diced firm, ripe honeydew melon
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ teaspoon salt

¼ pound thinly sliced prosciutto

Pour water over bulgur in a bowl.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Drain in a sieve if there is water at the bottom of the bowl.

Place mint, oil and lime or lemon juice in a blender or food processor.  Blend until the mint is finely chopped but still has some distinguishable pieces.

Toss bulgur with mint mixture, honeydew, onion, and salt.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Serve with prosciutto.  Serves 4.

 

Prijatno!

Onion Jam

I have always loved the taste of jams and preserves.  What can be better than fruit cooked with a healthy dose of sugar?  A picky eater as a youngster -- oh, how things have changed -- bread, butter and jam kept this overactive, skinny little girl happy.  Peanut butter and jelly was an unheard-of combination in South Africa so my sandwiches were filled with salted butter and exotic berry jams, apricot, plum or my all-time favorite fig. 

I still enjoy my jam and butter but it’s more likely to be on a single piece of toast since the calories add up a lot quicker now :(    With the increase in availability of a wide variety of cheeses from all over the world and locally by our very own artisans (try Blue Heron Farm), a new way of enjoying preserves has emerged.   Chunky preserves can complement a pungent, rich cheese with its texture and sweetness;  fig jam is a perfect partner to tangy goat cheese.  

A mind-boggling array of delicious savory jams has emerged in recent years.  Chipotle peppers cannned with peaches or raspberries, ginger with figs, and blueberries with garlic are just a few that come to mind.  Here’s the simple recipe for Onion jam that I served with Walnut bread and Humboldt Fog chèvre (goat cheese) as seen in my previous post.  When cooked slowly, the onions are allowed to absorb the sugar, soy sauce, wine and vinegar.  Once the water in the liquids has evaporated the mixture becomes thick, jammy and complex in flavor…sweet, salty, a tad sour…umami... and perfect with chèvre. 

This savory jam would also be an outstanding accompaniment to a roast beef or turkey sandwich.  It would be delicious with a freshly grilled steak or on a vegetable pizza.  The thought of it mingling with melting queso in a quesadilla makes my mouth water!.  Get creative with it…it’s worth the 45 minutes or so of stirring!

Onion Jam from the Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook

Makes about 1 cup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups sliced onions; I have used both yellow and red

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine

2 tablespoons water

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until tender and translucent. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 - 20 minutes, until onions are golden brown. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring often to avoid scorching, for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is thick and jam like.  Taste and adjust for salt, if necessary.  The slower you cook it, the richer the jam will become. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Prijatno!

Walnut bread with Humboldt Fog goat cheese and Onion jam

My love for goat cheese (chèvre) is no secret.  I am an afflicted turophile!  It’s a new word for me and probably for you as well, dear reader.  It comes from the Greek tyros ‘cheese’ and philos ‘love’ and was first used by the English in the 1930s.  Rarely used today, it also means ‘connoisseur of cheese’.   Aside from being a dedicated turophile, I also spend way too much time on the internet where I came across an alternative/rock band based in Toledo, Ohio named Turophilie, that claims to have “no tolerance for the lactose intolerant”!   I listened to a couple of songs on their playlist and quite like their sound.  Interesting stuff one comes across on the internet!

Back to chèvre…Hubby and I hosted a wine dinner recently with goat cheese or goat's milk in every single course.   For starters, and with the help of my accomplished wine group members, I managed to pack eight delicious tidbits on two appetizer plates.   Each of the items varied in texture, flavor and color and presented a feast for the eyes!

Warm appetizer plate

Tartelettes with chèvre, red peppers and caramelized red onions

Creamy Mediterranean chèvre polenta with scallops on a half shell

Dates stuffed with chèvre wrapped in bacon

Roasted beet and chèvre tower with pistachios

Cold appetizer plate

Humboldt Fog on homemade walnut bread

Terrine of chèvre with zucchini and roasted red, orange and yellow peppers

Chèvre crème brulee with turbinado crust

Melon salad with chèvre feta and sherry vinegar dressing

Chèvre overkill, you say?  It can never happen in my world, but it was a definite challenge for Hubby in the wine pairing department.  Since a few members of our group tend to steamroll toward the reds, we had to remind them that goat cheese loves to be courted by champagne, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.   I managed to sneak some chèvre into the spinach and pine nut ‘cigars’ that accompanied the main course of grilled lamb chops with celery root and Yukon gold puree and sautéed mushrooms.   We drank a few Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds and everyone was very happy.   Homemade Vanilla bean goat’s milk ice cream topped individual apple tarts for dessert and we were ecstatic!

In my ‘humboldt’ opinion, Humboldt Fog chèvre rivals the best the French can produce.   Made in California by Cypress Grove Chèvre, it is the epitome of American made cheese.  It’s firm and chalky, thick and creamy, with an unmistakable tang derived from the acids unique to goat’s milk.  The rind is edible, as well as the delicate layer of ash that runs through the middle of the cheese, giving it a pretty layer-cake look.  Best at room temperature, the outer layer oozes creamy-rich decadence seen in the picture at the end of this post.

A nice complement to the chèvre is bread made with walnuts and shallots.   The soft rich cream in the cheese contrasts with a hint of onion and crunchy nuts.  It’s also great with Onion Jam, a recipe I’ll share in the next few days.   Here’s the bread…on bright red!

Walnut bread

Adapted from The Cheese Course by Janet Fletcher

Makes one 8-inch round loaf

1 cup walnuts

¼ ounce package active dry yeast, or 2½ teaspoons instant yeast

1/3 cup warm water (110ºF to 115ºF)

1 cup milk

1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up into chunks

about 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup minced shallots

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 pound Humboldt Fog cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a small bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let stand for 2 minutes to soften. Stir to dissolve and allow to sit for about 5 – 10 minutes, or until fine bubbles form on the surface. This means that the yeast is active and you have just ‘proofed’ it.

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan until butter is melted. Set aside to cool to about 110ºF.

In a large bowl, stir together 1¾ cups of the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour and salt. Add the active (proofed) yeast, milk and butter mixture, shallots and walnuts. Stir until well blended. Add more all-purpose flour gradually, stirring until the dough becomes too stiff to stir. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary.

Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a large greased bowl (I use about 1 tablespoon olive oil). Turn the dough over to coat the entire surface with oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours. Punch the dough down and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Reshape into a ball and transfer to a baking sheet dusted with the cornmeal. Cover with the towel and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours.

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Put a baking dish with ice water on the floor of the oven to create steam. Slash the loaf a couple of times, and then bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF, remove the water from the oven and continue to bake bread until it is well browned, about 30 minutes more. Let cool on rack before slicing.  Serve with sliced Humboldt Fog cheese and Onion Jam.

 

I am submitting this recipe to YeastSpotting, a weekly review of yeast-driven food.  Check the link for some wonderful recipes!

Prijatno!

Tuna Puri wins 2nd place at the Tournament de Tuna!

I travelled the world in my mind with ideas for a winning combination of flavors that would wow the judges during Saturday’s Tournament de Tuna.  I bounced from Portugal to Spain, Northern Africa to Greece, and I finally settled way out east in India! 

Featuring canned Portuguese tuna, Queen of the Coast was introducing its products to the USA.   The Queen herself made a graceful appearance.

It was an intimate affair – six eager contestants butting into each other in the home kitchen as we plated our promising dishes.  From left to right:  Todd Romero, Chantal Duvall, yours truly, Joni Buck, and Holly Erickson watched Jenn Molholt win with her tasty Baked tuna fritter with spicy/tangy tomato relish and avocado.   It was crispy on the outside, perfectly tender on the inside and delicious! 

After much hype on Facebook,  the romantic and adventurous Raphael made his grand appearance, fresh off his seafaring boat.  He was very handsome, charming and gracious, even when Chantal planted a big red kiss!  His accent made my legs buckle…and it looked like he was enjoying my Tuna puri! 

Pani puri is an Indian snack (chaat) found in street food carts.  A foodie friend, Jay recently introduced me to a great vegetarian restaurant in Houston called Shiv Sagar.  Their dosas are excellent and that’s where I spotted the delicate pani puri.   (Thanks Jay for steering me away from making dosas, oy!)    I picked the soft-spoken restaurant owner’s brain for information and ideas for pani puri and eventually bought a package.  They had potential -  small, hollow, crispy fried breads are the vessels for spiced vegetables and sauces.   In order to incorporate the canned tuna, I checked with my Indian connection and knowledgeable friend, Manjula.  

A vegetarian herself, Manjula described the various sauces I should use and assured me that tuna would fit right in.  Her mother’s own garam masala and a fair amount of chopped onions contributed greatly to the richness of the filling.   Willing taste-tester and an excellent cook herself, my neighbor Cheryl stated that the sweetness of the yoghurt sauce balanced the spiciness of the serrano chiles in the green sauce.  The sauces – one sweet, one sour, and one spicy; and a variety of crunchy and leafy garnishes created a complete flavor and textural sensation. 

This was my presentation.  A shot of Mango lassi completed the plate.

Thanks to Karen, Dwight, Joan and Amber at Soundworks for hosting the fun-filled affair and giving us amateur cooks an opportunity to experiment and revel in each other’s company.  Judges Brandy Graesser of Hubbell and Hudson Viking Cooking School, food marketing wiz George Darsey, and Raphael himself made positive comments and I walked off with a fantastic prize – cooking lessons at the Viking Cooking School, perfect for someone who’s always willing to experiment in the kitchen! 

Yours truly, Jenn, Raphael, Holly and the Queen of the Coast

Now to the recipe!  Start with paper-thin Pani Puri (these are made by Satyam Foods & Snacks, Inc.), and thin, crunchy sev, a vermicelli-like snack made with chick pea (gram) flour.

Here’s the filling…simple ingredients deliciously seasoned with garam masala and black mustard seeds. 

To make a hole for the filling, tap the top of one side of each puri with the back of a spoon, and then fill it with the tuna mixture.  Drizzle with Spicy green chutney, Dahi, pomegranate molasses and top with sev, chives, tomato and cilantro.  Pop the entire puri in your mouth for a blast of savory, sweet, sour and spicy heaven!

Tuna Puri   Please note that this recipe looks more complicated than it is!  You can substitute store-bought Spicy Cilantro Chutney and the rest of the components are very simple to assemble.

One bag (7.4 oz) Pani Puri (small, fried and hollow Indian breads, available at all Indian grocers)

Tuna and Chick Pea filling

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely diced onion

1 – 2 teaspoons garam masala (a spice mixture available at all Indian grocers)

½ teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 cup diced fresh tomatoes, seeds removed

3 cans (6 oz/170g each) Queen of the Coast Tuna Salad with Chick Peas, or 5 oz canned tuna in oil plus 11 oz cooked chick peas

salt, to taste

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes until beginning to soften but not brown. Add garam masala and mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and sauté for 1 more minute. Add canned Tuna Salad with Chick Peas and stir gently until heated through. Season with salt, if necessary.

Spicy Cilantro Chutney ( substitute with store-bought chutney, if you wish)

3 green chiles such as serrano or jalapeno, stemmed and seeded

¾-inch piece peeled fresh ginger

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon oil

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar or jaggery (palm sugar)

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

1 bunch cilantro (about 5 ounces) less about 6 stems- reserve for garnish

Place all ingredients except for the cilantro in a blender. Pulse until combined and finely chopped. Add cilantro and blend until smooth. Season with additional salt if necessary.

Dahi (sweetened yoghurt)

1 cup plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon sugar or jaggery (palm sugar)

½ teaspoon pomegranate molasses

pinch of salt

Whisk yoghurt, sugar, pomegranate and salt to blend. Adjust to taste.

For the garnish:

½ cup sev, a fried vermicelli-like snack made with gram (chick pea) flour (available at all Indian grocers)

pomegranate molasses or sweet tamarind chutney (available at all Indian grocers)

¼ cup finely sliced scallions or chives

½ cup chopped fresh tomato

leaves from about 6 stems cilantro (reserved from Spicy Cilantro Chutney), finely chopped

To assemble Pani Puri

Carefully make a hole on one side of each pani puri. Fill each one about ¾ to the top with warm Tuna and Chick Pea filling. Arrange pani puri on a serving platter. Drizzle with Spicy Cilantro Chutney, Dahi, and garnishes (sev, pomegranate molasses, scallions, tomato and chopped cilantro). Serve with a shot of Mango Lassi to cool the palate!

 

Mango lassi

2 cups plain yoghurt

2 mangoes, peeled and chopped, or 2 cups frozen mango cubes

¼ cup milk

toasted and ground pistachio nuts and a slice of fresh mango for decoration

Blend yoghurt, mangoes and milk in a blender. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts. Serve cold.

Mango lassi – refreshing and not too sweet!

Click on the link for more pictures of the Tournament de Tuna. 

This post is my entry to the Magic Bullet To Go Giveaway, for which you can find details @ Fun and Food Cafe. You could win a Magic Bullet Food processor!  It’s easy!

Prijatno!

Queen of the Coast Tuna

I have entered a cooking contest!  My first one ever!  What was I thinking? 

I’m nervous!  I’ve cooked and baked for parties and family through the years and accepted their compliments and gentle criticisms, but I’ve never had my food judged by strangers before.   We’ll see if I have the thick skin necessary to accept any negative feedback!   What if they can’t stand my plate?  What if the presentation falls apart at the last minute?   I keep on trying to remind myself that it’s all in the name of fun, but as you can tell…I have real issues, unlike the serene beauty above!

I will participate in the Tournament de Tuna on Saturday!   It’s a means of introducing Queen of the Coast Tuna to the US.   Imported from Portugal by LaRuche Imports, Inc., the tuna comes canned in water or oil, or as ready-to-eat salads with either chickpeas; peas and carrots; black-eyed peas; and red beans and sweet corn.  All packed in easy-to-open cans, these salads stand alone as delicious and healthy meals. 

I am using the Tuna Salad with Chick Peas in my dish.  My mind is spinning with ideas and ingredients – I haven’t bought canned tuna in years because we have been enjoying the benefits of fresh tuna.  Do I play it safe with a Mediterranean dish?  Do I add a twist with Mexican flavors, Moroccan, Caribbean spices or how about a little Asian ginger and lemongrass?   As you can see, I’m all over the map but I’m narrowing it down slowly.   I can’t tell you what it will be…there are competitors lurking on this site, you know.

Karen, Joan and Amber at Soundworks have been a lot of fun as they have encouraged my friend Chantal and me along the way.   And there’s an added bonus – we will meet the mysterious and unabashedly handsome Raphael, lover of women, romance, tuna and the sea!   Follow the hype on facebook and enter the contest for a chance to win a trip to Portugal.  

And most of all - WISH ME LUCK!!!

Prijatno!

Strawberry and blackberry shortcakes with Grand Marnier whipped cream

It’s finally berry season and these strawberry and blackberry shortcakes went over very well at a meeting with my foodie friends at a backyard barbeque recently.   Slightly sweet and very tender, these shortcakes are a cinch to make.   Similar to scones and Southern biscuits, shortcakes contain a ‘healthy’ dose of shortening (or my preferred butter) which creates a “short” and delicate crumb.   Filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream and a combination of fresh summer berries soaked in a little bit of orange decadence (aka Grand Marnier), this dessert prettily announces the beginning of Summer.

As wonderful as all berries are, I had a major run-in with them in Oregon during a wine-tasting trip in the Willamette Valley.  It was late September and much to my delight I found the country roads surrounding our Bed and Breakfast lined with enormous wild blackberry bushes - hundreds of them – loaded with thousands upon thousands of blackberries at different stages of ripening!  These impressive, sometimes 12-foot tall plants use boundary fences and posts as support for their thorny, entangled canes.   They provide a wonderful feast for the birds for several months and I was astounded that so many perfectly ripe and sweet berries were left to rot.   I couldn’t wait to get my mitts on them!

Fearless of the possibility of snakes which make the bushes their habitat, I dove in and moved from branch to branch and ate more than I was putting into my Ziploc.  I was not intimidated!   I conquered!   Unable to pace myself midst such glorious fruit, I became an uncontrollable glutton.   Here was my chance to load up for free on vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, fiber, and oh yeah…I forgot…sugar!  

It was a morning (and sometimes evening) ritual, with a healthy dose of wine-tasting in between (I know…more sugar).  I had totally ignored the warnings of my friend Ralph, who predicted my affliction.   In a couple of days my mouth was reeling from a serious overgrowth of yeast.   Generously fueled by my greed and the sharp increase in sugar, I had a veritable bloom of yeast buds splurging in my mouth.   It was not a pleasant feeling and nothing short of a drastic change in diet and a few pills would stop it.  

But don’t let me stop you from enjoying these shortcakes with berries…in moderation of course!  Our group is planning a wine-tasting trip to Washington state this fall...

Strawberry and blackberry shortcakes with Grand Marnier whipped cream

Makes about 10 – 16 shortcakes. Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

3½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

¾ teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons sugar

1½ sticks (12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter), cut into small chunks

1½ cups cold heavy cream

Center a rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the chunks of butter and quickly work it in the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter until the butter is the size of small peas.

Pour the cream over the mixture and mix it gently with a fork until the dough is just combined but there is still flour on the bottom of the bowl. Use your hands to form a rough ball but don’t overwork the dough or it may become tough.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin to about ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch or 3-inch cookie cutter, cut circles out and place on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Collect the scraps, re-roll and cut more dough circles. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, turning the cooking sheet around about half way through the baking time. When the shortcakes are light golden brown, remove them from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.

When ready to serve, slice each shortcake horizontally in half. Place the bottom half on a serving plate and top with a couple of spoonfuls of the berries and whipped cream. Top with remaining half of shortcake and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Strawberries and blackberries in Grand Marnier

2 lbs strawberries and blackberries (the proportion is up to you)

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Wash berries and place on clean kitchen towel to dry. Hull strawberries and then slice them into thirds. Transfer strawberries and blackberries to a bowl. Add sugar and Grand Marnier and mix gently. Set aside to macerate for about an hour.

Grand Marnier whipped cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon orange zest

Whip cream and sugar in a bowl until it begins to thicken. Add Grand Marnier, vanilla essence and orange zest.   Whip carefully until it’s thick.  

Prijatno!

Baby bella mushroom tart

In Italy, France, eastern Europe and Russia, foraging for mushrooms in the spring and fall is a national pastime.   You know that the season is under way when neighbors behave strangely - avoiding eye-contact while discreetly wandering in the direction of the woods and emerging casually with a bounty neatly tucked out of sight in coat pockets!  Similarly, when you see cars parked in disarray on the side of the road, you can be pretty sure that scavengers are secretly searching for mushrooms in the damp woodland areas nearby.   Secrecy and protection of the fruitful sites are carried through generations, and it is rude to ask where where the mushrooms were found.

There is a magical quality to mushrooms.  I am always amazed at their instant appearance on my lawn after a rainy spell.  But because I’m mycophobic (like most of us in America) when surprised by mushrooms that have the potential of being poisonous, I don’t venture to even touch them, let alone consider eating them!  In Europe the attitude is decidedly mycophilic and children are taught to identify the edible from the poisonous at an early age.  If you are in France and there is any doubt in your mind, you can conveniently take your harvest to a pharmacist - they are all trained to identify them.

During our stay at the amazing Villa Ferraia in Tuscany, my wine group and I were treated to an afternoon of foraging in the cool, humid woods.   Amateurs at best, we were accompanied by an expert woodsman who spoke not a word of English and nodded ‘yes’, and ‘no’ to our findings.   Stefano is the culinary director at the Villa.   Here’s his find – a huge portobello!   Mushrooms flourish in humus, the decaying vegetation found on moist soil around trees and under brush. 

We were very fortunate to find a few ovoli mushrooms that day!   In researching for the name of this bright orange mushroom, I discovered that they are very rare.   They have brilliant orange caps and white stems and are very expensive to buy if you are lucky enough to find them at market.  

Always eaten raw, they were sliced thinly and wonderful paired with a local Chianti. 

Mushrooms can be called the ‘meaty’ vegetable because of their high protein content.  They can easily replace meat to balance a meal.  In this mushroom tart, I use dried porcini mushrooms and young portobello mushrooms, also known as ‘baby bellas’.   A little brandy and salty parmesan to the mix enhance the earthiness of this hearty tart.

Baby bella mushroom tart

Adapted from the Torta Salata recipe in Bologna Mia by Loretta Paganini.  Serves 8

Tart dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed in 1” pieces and chilled

2 egg yolks

5 tablespoons ice water

Filling

¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover for 30 minutes (reserve water after draining)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 20 oz packages Baby Bella mushrooms, brushed clean of any dirt, stems removed and thinly sliced 

¼ cup brandy

1 - 1½ teaspoons sea salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 large eggs

1 cup whipping cream

½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

To make the tart dough:  Place flour, salt and butter in food processor (or bowl).  Pulse (or work quickly with your hands) until the butter is the size of peas.  Add egg yolks and ice water and pulse until the mixture forms a mass.  If it’s still dry, add more water, one teaspoon at a time.  Shape into a flattened ball and wrap in plastic or foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Butter a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom.  Sprinkle lightly with flour.  On a floured counter, roll out the dough to about an 11” circle.  Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan.  Pat the dough so that it is snug in the bottom and sides of tart pan and trim the excess from the edge of the pan.  Prick the bottom at 1” intervals with the tines of a fork.  Chill while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms and drained porcini mushrooms.  Sauté over high heat for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.  Add the brandy and porcini water and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes and the mixture begins to dry out.  Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley and combine. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, white pepper, nutmeg and parmesan cheese until combined.  Add to the cooled mushroom mixture and mix well.  Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until deep golden brown on the top.

Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

    Prijatno!