Recipe: Vegetable Tart ( with Gruyere )

This recipe is so simple. It's totally amazing that with the small preparation time that it tastes so delicious. The original recipe comes from Martha Stewart's book, Everyday Food: Great Food Fast and is supposed to be an asparagus tart. I went out on a limb here and decided to do a little experimenting. Instead of asparagus I added yellow squash, mushrooms, and red and green peppers. The gruyere cheese is outstanding. You should experiment with the different types of veggies that you include as a topping as well as different cheeses. Unfortunately, on this particular one I didn't add as many veggies as I should have. Next time, I'm going to pile them on.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes (sounds long, but it is totally easy)

Ingredients:
*2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (imported from Switzerland and kinda expensive)
*1 sheet puff pastry ( from frozen dessert aisle and thawed according to package)
*1/2 bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch strips
*1/2 red pepper cut into 1/4 inch strips
*handful of sliced mushrooms (I used the baby bella)
*1 yellow squash thinly sliced
*olive oil
*black pepper

Preparations:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees (make sure you have thawed the puff pastry according to package)
2.) Roll the pastry to 16 x 10 inch rectangle (or whatever you can manage, it also helps to roll it out with flour) and trim the uneven edges.
3.) Place pastry puff on baking sheet. Score dough 1 inch from edge to make a rectangle. Then poke the inside with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals (if you don't do this, the dough will rise to much and you'll have a burnt pastry)
4.) Bake until golden (about 12 minutes..It also helps to undercook it a little bit because you will cook it a second time)
5.) Remove from oven and sprinkle the grated gruyere cheese on top.
6.) Arrange as much of the vegetables over the cheese. The more the better!
7.) Brush the tops of the vegetables with olive oil and season with black pepper.
8.) Bake until the veggies are tender (about 15 - 20 minutes). The veggies are done when you can pierce them with a fork.
9.) Enjoy with a side salad and a nice glass of wine.

Weekend Happenings

* Sun Valley Center Wine Auction (Idaho)

*Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival (New York)

*Vintage Blues Bash (Michigan)

*A Taste of Camarillo (California)

*A Taste of Niagra (New York/Canada)

There's always something in your neighborhood--get out and enjoy!

Wine: 2003 Cobblestone Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2003 Cobblestone Cabernet Sauvignon was Big, Bold, Spicy, and packed a bit of punch. I'm still in my early stages of wine tasting, but I tasted a bit of cherry with a big hint of spice. I have really enjoyed spicy wines and was in love with this particular one. We had it with filet mignon--absolutely great together--and finished it off with dark chocolate.

The 2003 Cobblestone comes from Napa Valley of which I have many vivid memories. My brother and I complained during every trip to Napa Valley because we were bored out of our minds. My parents were busy tasting wine and my brother and I were busy trying to find creative ways to have fun (which probably was beating one another up). I've been to many of the wine regions in California, but still have not ventured to Napa Valley as an adult. I'm quite sure when I do get there that I'll have a totally different experience. Cheers.

Recipe: Asparagus a la Almandine

Veggies are healthy so I'm trying to eat more of them. The problem I'm running into is that I'd like to spend less time preparing them for consumption. In addition, there are few vegetables that I like to eat raw. Therefore, I'm always trying to find quick ways to prepare vegetables. This almandine recipe is one of my favorites. Tonight, I had it with asparagus, but it is just as tasty with steamed broccoli or peas.

Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 17 minutes

Ingredients:
*1 lb. asparagus
*2 T butter
*1 T olive oil
*1/4 cup cut almonds
*1 T lemon juice (optional)
*freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
1.) Cut the rough ends from the apsaragus.
2.) Brush the asparagus with olive oil making sure to coat all sides.
3.) Cook 12 minutes on the grill turning a few times to cook both sides (Side note: I don't have a grill at home so it works just as well to cook under the broiler for 12 minutes). You know the asparagus is ready when you can easily stick a fork through it. The cooking time may depend on your cooking method and utensils.
4.) Meanwhile, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook until browned and fragrant.
5.) Add the lemon juice (I prefer it without lemon juice because I like the buttery almond taste as is) and cook an additional 1 minute.
6.) Place cooked asparagus on a plate, spoon the almandine mixture on top, sprinkle ground pepper and enjoy!

Recipe: Cucumber Sandwich with Veggie Cream Cheese Spread

The boyfriend and I just returned from a wonderful trip in Upstate New York. While visiting, we stopped at Murphy Orchards for a wonderful afternoon tea. We were served an assortment of pastries, sandwiches, and of course scones (what's afternoon tea without scones?). One of the sandwiches that we adored was the cucumber sandwich with spread. So, I decided to experiment with my own cucumber sandwich when I saw my mom had 2 beautiful cucumbers out on the counter. It took little time to prepare and turned out light and filling. I even paired it with the French rose from yesterday.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
*8 0z. package of cream cheese (you may use light if you prefer)
*3 green onions
*2 medium carrots
*12 - 15 stems of cilantro
*1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
*1 cucumber
*4 slices of your favorite sandwich bread

Preparation:
1.) Let the cream cheese sit out for a few hours to soften. Once softened, place in a medium-sized bowl.
2.) Grate 2 carrots. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess water. Stir into the cream cheese.
3.) Finely cut the green onions and add to the cream cheese.
4.) Finely chop the cilantro leaves and add to the cream cheese.
5.) Add the ground black pepper.
6.) Mix all of the ingredients and set spread in the fridge while you prepare the sandwiches.
7.) Wash and remove the skin of the cucumbers. Cut into thin slices.
8.) Spread a thin layer of the veggie cream cheese on your bread.
9.) Add the cucumber slices and enjoy!

I had my sandwich with a banana and some of the 2007 French Bicyclette rose from yesterday! Yum.