Free State Studios:

Simply Delicious

Onion Tart

Ingredients

2 or 3 large onions, 2 pounds total
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Pate Brisée (flaky pastry) for tart shell (recipe follows)

Ingredients

½ cup créme fraiche
2 eggs
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
sea salt & black pepper, to taste

Cut the onions in half. Slice each half into 1/8-inch slices using a mandoline slicer or sharp knife. (You should have 6 to 7 cups of sliced onions.) Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, turning frequently for 10 to 15 minutes, until wilted. Stir in the thyme and salt. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the onions, turning frequently, until tender and golden, about 40 to 50 minutes. Take care not to scorch them. If they begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to low. Cool the onions before making the tart.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the Pate Brisée for the tart shell and chill for 1 hour (see recipe below).

To make the tart shell: Roll out the chilled pastry dough to a 12-inch circle on a lightly-floured surface. Transfer the pastry to an 11-inch loose-bottomed tart tin. Carefully press the pastry into the tin. Tuck the overhanging dough inside the tin and press the sides gently to form a thicker crust. Chill the tart shell in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before adding the filling.

To make the filling: Place the eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the créme fraiche until well blended. Stir in the cooked onions and nutmeg and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Pour the filling into the chilled tart shell and bake in a 425 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center of the tart is set, and the crust is golden brown. Remove the onion tart from the tin when ready to serve. Serve warm or room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Pate Brisée (Flaky Pastry)

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups all-purpose white flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup ice water

Place the flour and salt in the food processor. Add the butter and process for about 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and pulse 6 to 8 times, just until the pastry begins to hold together. Add an additional tablespoon of water if needed. Form the pastry into a disk and wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more.

Recipe Jayni Carey©Copyright, 2007.

Tom's Wine Recommendation: 2006 le Rosé de Mouton Cadet, Bordeaux Rosé.

Shrimp and Asparagus Quiche (a.k.a. Savage Quiche) pastry shell (recipe follows)

Ingredients

1 heaping cup fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded Gruyére cheese
4 eggs
1 ½ cups half & half
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
8 ounces small, cooked shrimp, peeled

Prepare the pastry shell (recipe follows) and chill for 1 hour or more.

Steam the asparagus, or cook in a pot of boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, just until tender-crisp. Drain the asparagus and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well; pat dry with paper towels.

When ready to make the quiche filling, roll out the chilled pastry dough on a lightly-floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully press the pastry into the pie plate. Trim and tuck the overhanging dough inside the plate and crimp the edges.

To make the filling: Spread the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom of the pastry shell. Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the half & half, nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Stir in the shrimp and asparagus and pour the filling into the shell.

Bake the quiche in a 375 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Serves 6 to 8.

Option: 1 heaping cup small broccoli florets (cooked as directed) may be substituted for the asparagus.

Ingredients: Pastry Shell

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup chilled vegetable shortening
5 to 6 tablespoons ice water

Place the flour in a mixing bowl and stir in the salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the chilled, unsalted butter and vegetable shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Add the ice water gradually and stir with a fork, just until the dough begins to hold together. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least1 hour.

Recipe by Ann Hagedorn.

Tom's Wine Recommendation: 2006 Perrin Réserve Cotes Du Rhone Blanc.

Picadillo Turnovers

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seed*, coarsely ground
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
¼ cup dry white wine or water
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, coarsely chopped
2 1-pound packages frozen puff pastry sheets (3 unbaked sheets)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Heat the olive oil in large pan or Dutch oven medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook, stirring frequently until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and add the ground beef; cook until browned. Drain off the excess fat and add the oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir in the tomato sauce and white wine (or water). Simmer the picadillo, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the raisins and olives and simmer for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid is absorbed. Cool to room temperature.

To make the turnovers: Thaw three puff pastry sheets according to the package directions. (Once thawed, refrigerate the sheets until ready to make the turnovers.) Lay one pastry sheet at a time on a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Press the seams firmly together where the pastry was folded. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 equal squares. Top each square of pastry with about ¼ cup of the picadillo. Fold the pastry over the meat to form a triangle and press the edges together to enclose the filling. Lay the pastry on the work surface and press the edges firmly together using the tines of a fork. Place the turnovers on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and picadillo.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together and brush the tops of the turnovers lightly with the mixture. Bake them in a 400 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Let the turnovers rest briefly on the baking sheet; then transfer them to a baking rack to cool. Serve hot, warm or chilled. Makes 12 turnovers.

*To toast the cumin seed: Place the cumin seed in a small skillet over low heat. Stir often, 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly toasted. Cool and coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle, or in a spice grinder.

Tom's Wine Recommendation: 2005 Pablo Menguante Garnacha.