Lemon Tart

A Kir for Bastille Day

 
 

It's true this post should be tomorrow in honour of the return of  Thirsty Thursdays, but today is Bastille Day, so it seemed fitting. July 14, La Fête Nationale, or Bastille Day, is France's big national holiday, which takes place on the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris during the revolution in 1789. Its a pretty big deal and there is usually lots of grand military parades, air shows, music and plenty of celebrations as the whole country takes the day off and parties like its 1789. Surely all of this along with lots of good food and drink.

Those who know me, and if you've been a regular reader, know that I have a particular soft spot for France.  Its people, art, food, way of life, language, even its quirks and idiosyncrasies, all touch me where I live. I been so lucky to have spent quite a bit of time there as a curious tourist, spent some time with locals, DG has worked there, and we've come to adore the country. So much so that the last time I entered the country, after a magical 3 weeks in Italy, I got a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye, simply from the overwhelming feeling of coming home. This is a place that I would call home, fairly easily if the chance ever presented itself. 

In honour of Bastille Day, I'm sharing with you a classic before dinner drink. A Kir is a simple melange of wine and Cassis and a common aperitif. Its old school and while some people might think it old fashioned, I happen to love it and order it frequently both at home and abroad. While most commonly made with white wine, although a version made with red wine is called a Kir Cardinale, Kirs come in many shapes and sizes. Some are made with Peach liqueur, called a Kir Peche, or with Raspberry liqueur, called a Kir Framboise, and then there's the Kir Violette, a sexy number made with a brilliantly purple violet liqueur from the Loire Valley. When in a festive mood I would suggest a Kir Royale, using Champagne in place of the white wine, or its equal cousin, the Kir Alsace made with the lovely sparkling wine of Alsace, called Cremant.

 

The Kir originated in the area of Dijon, in Burgundy, on the Eastern side of the country. This town is known for its Dijon mustard, of which not a jar is made anymore - sadly a victim of large scale food production- and Cassis, the blackcurrant liqueur not to be confused with the light and fruity  wine made of Cassis in the Riviera. Its named after Dijon's wartime Mayor, Felix Kir, who popularized it by serving it frequently to visiting delegates in the period following WWII. Traditionally it would have also been made with the local fruity white wine, Aligote. 

I had my very first Kir in Dijon some 5 years ago on our first trip to France. It seemed appropriate. And of course I left that city with not only the requisite Dijon mustard, but a bottle of Cassis as well, and returned home making it until every drop of that tasty, inky, sweet liqueur was gone. 

  
I love this drink for its simplicity as the perfect pre dinner drink. I always have Cassis in my liquor cabinet and inexpensive white wine around. Its lighter than a cocktail, but a little more special than a simple glass of wine. While I have frequently made it mixed with some of my homemade Framboise, the classic version is what I make the most and in winter a Kir Cardinal is the perfect way to cover up a bottle of disappointing red wine I've opened on a previous night. In fact I dare say the making of a Kir in this house often follows a  bottle of wine we simply cant be bothered to drink by itself again. A cloak of rich Cassis nicely covers up a bland wine.

I'll be likely having one of these tonight. Sante to all of the lovely French people I've met over the years and a country that feels a lot like home.

Strawberry Fields {not} Forever : Classic Strawberry Tarts

 

I love going to the source for my food. Heading out to the farm to buy produce you know has been harvested within hours of buying it, seeing the very plants that have produced it, and even being able to pick it yourself, are all ways of buying food that gives me some control over its quality. This whole "eat local" mantra that has amazingly seeped into mainstream culture, is based on this very idea. Living in a big city means I can't feasibly do this with each fruit crop, but strawberries grow well on Canada's West Coast and they are abundant down here. I feel passionate about supporting these farmers and in my own small way ensuring that I will be able to enjoy such fruits as strawberries. But let's not forgot the real reason for my trek to the farm : They taste amazing! And with a trunk full of berries I get to make these beautiful classic strawberry tarts until I almost get sick of them, although unfortunately the season is too short for any danger of that happening.

A simple strawberry tart is certainly my most anticipated seasonal dessert. Its the first real fruit experience of the growing season, and after eating apple, oranges, and frozen fruit for so long, these juicy, sun drenched red fruits are those of dreams. A simple strawberry tart is one of life's truly greatest desserts and few combinations properly celebrate this darling berry. The crust is a crisp, buttery, tart dough which is basically a butter cookie. Its crunch adding the necessary contrasting texture to the soft fruit and the vanilla flecked custard base it cradles. The stars of the party, needing not a drop of extra sugar, balance on top. You can eat a lot of these if you let yourself, I assure. And you can just as easily make these topped with  raspberries and then blueberries as they come into season, although I confess they will not be quite as beautiful. By then we'll be used to summer fruits abounding the produce stands and markets, so our early summer excitement will have become jaded. Its my theory that a fruit like a strawberry has so much affection for it not only because of its amazing taste, but because we know we can't have berries like these for very long. Strawberry fields are really NOT forever.
 
I neglected to take a photo of the historic bridge to Westham Island. This stunning photo of the 100 year old landmark is courtesy of Jerk with a Camera.

When mid June hits, you'll find me driving out to the small agricultural community of Westham Island, about a 30 minute drive from my home in Vancouver. This island is home to many family owned berry farms, a winery, and has a notable bird sanctuary.  As you head out to the island you'll see a large community of permanent houseboats on the water, which is one of the largest in Canada. The Island is connected by this charming wooden bridge that turns 100 years this year.

Upon entrance onto the island, just in case you were worried about who would protect you from, well, something, a large sign reminds you that it is protected by the local gun club. Good to know...I'll get my strawberries and be on my way, thanks!

Radishes with Buttery Dressing

Contrary to the weather outside my window right now, spring is over. This means the time of the radish is coming to an end. Sure, you can buy them all year. They even look good in February, but let me assure you the radish is best in spring. Its the most tender, crunchy and gently flavoured in the beginning of the growing season and I get practically giddy when I see it in the markets in May. But the truth is, to everything a season... It's almost time to say goodbye, beautiful, red kissed, peppery, crunchy bit of earth... But don't despair, while its always sad to see the end of the season for  a fruit or vegetables, the good news is that at this time of year that also means the beginning of something perhaps even more glorious. Hello pattipan squash, Bing cherries and green beans! But, I will admit, it does get me a little down, so I'm sharing this new salad I've been making in honour of one of my most beloved spring  arrivals.  In these next couple weeks they will be plentiful in my crisper before taking a more supporting role to more glamorous market stars.

Radishes with butter is a classic French before dinner snack and certainly my favourite way to enjoy them. Crisp, peppery radishes, creamy, salty butter, a piece of country bread. Frankly, there's not much to improve up on here. This recipe features them in all their glory and kisses them with the butter they love, along with olive oil and chives. Tender salad turnips are like family to the radish, so I've included them as well. For this dish French Breakfast Radishes are your best bet for their gentle flavour, but if all you have is classic Easter egg radishes, go for it. Please, do try this NOW. It comes together in moments and looks oh so pretty on the table. Reminiscent of the Italian raw vegetable dip, Bagna Cauda,  this is a cinch to make.

Daring Bakers: Chocolate Pavlovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

This month's chocolate pavlova is not a new dish for me. The national dessert of Australia, named after a famous ballerina, and one of the worlds most under appreciated desserts, has always been a favourite of mine. Never heard of it? Well, its a meringue - a simple whipping of egg whites and sugar, spread into a puffy disc and baked long and low in the oven until it cracks and dries. Deep inside it retains a puffy, chewy, marshmallow like centre. Hmm... this sounds like a friend of mine... This disk of non fat goodness gets smothered with whipped cream and then piled high with fresh fruit. Even if its sometimes a hard sell on paper, its always a hit once served. I've made many a version, some chocolate, some vanilla, covered in canned fruit or frozen raspberries, but usually with local fruit at the height of summer, after all this really is the perfect summertime dessert. I've filled them with the classic whipped cream, pastry cream, chocolate sauce and all manner of ice cream and sorbet, my favourite way indeed. Coincidentally last month I enjoyed a perfect example crafted by my friend, Bryan, done to such complete perfection it would have made any Aussie proud. It was a showstopping plateful of crispy, craggy, golden tinged meringue - marshmallow-y in the middle, just as it should be - covered with barely sweetened whipped cream and then generously strewn with jewel coloured papaya, kiwi, strawberries and passion fruit. The fact that 6 of us easily polished all 10 inches of it is  testament to its tastiness factor, but also to its lightness.

This version definitely has a little more "oomph" to it and would satisfy any manner of chocophile. Its chocolate based meringue deepens as it cooks providing the perfect crunchy base for the bittersweet chocolate mousse its served with. The mascarpone cheese in the mousse adds body while keeping the sweetness down. The entire thing is doused in custard, a break if you will from all that chocolate, but also a pleasing contrast in colour. I tend to love a little fruit with my chocolate desserts, so the creme anglaise also goes beautifully with the fresh strawberries I chose to serve alongside. With berries this beautiful there was simply no way they weren't going to weasel their way onto this plate! 

This challenge wasn't one of my favourites, although that's no fault of the dish itself or the recipe. I just tend to be in the minority as someone who really doesn't consider a chocolate based dessert my desert island sweet of choice. But as with every one of these Daring Bakers challenges, I come away either learning something completely new or re discovering something in my repertoire. And this one was no different. I was excited to practice my cheese making abilities, and had the opportunity to make mascarpone cheese for the second time. And let me tell you a little secret: it's really not so difficult. In fact, its a shame the dairy industry has convinced us to buy it rather than make our own. The flavour is pure cream, as it should be without the oh so attractive xantham gum and stabilizers, and the effort is basically heating up cream, stirring and draining. That's it! Shh... don't tell!

I also was reminded of how much I really I do love a crispy base of meringue and that I don't make them enough. As an avid maker of ice cream, custards and sweet tart doughs, all of which require yolks only, I always have a problem of having too many egg whites cluttering up my freezer. Indeed I believe I have not been without a supply for 6 years! These are so easy to make, practically cooking themselves, and keep beautifully. The bonus is the use of large amounts of egg whites. So thank you Daring Bakers, for reminding me to keep making those meringues and pavlovas. Wouldn't you agree that nothing dresses up a simple scoop of ice cream or sorbet than this lovely edible dish? The chocolate sauce doesn't hurt either!

 

Where have I Been?

I've been preoccupied as of late. The growing season has intensified and I'm overwhelmed by the first strawberries from the farm. I'll be back as soon as I finish dessert! So many dishes to share with you, which should be first? Perhaps this simple classic strawberry tart. With such a short season, you simply can't wait to make this. But first let me deal with the strawberry stains on everything!

Crab Bisque and My Crab Adventure

 

On the heals of another surprise Crab-load, I made a huge batch of crab bisque recently, when DG's brother sent down a bag of crabs caught just the day before. What better way to deal with a sac full of beautiful Dungeness Crab than a bubbly pot of creamy, seafood goodness! I was pleased to have this kind of problem, as I always am when its free! Considering I pay about $25 for a crab, that's "A" crab, I felt almost dirty opening up my industrial mayonnaise bucket turned ice chest, only to lose count of the number of crabs inside due to the sheer number of them! That dirty feeling was replaced by ravenous hunger and a need to crack them all open with a bucket of lemon butter and bottle of wine.

After combing the internet for a decent crab bisque recipe, I came across just one worthy recipe, which I've followed before with great success. The rest were far too complicated. I'm hoping this recipe will help a few of you with your problem of too many crabs. This makes a beautiful soup full of crab flavour that is just the right foil for fresh chunks of fresh picked crab meat, without loads of heavy cream. It's an impressive first course and can stand on its own for a weeknight meal. Best of all, despite its grandeur, this is one simple soup to make and really you just need to get your hands on just a couple crabs, not a sack-ful. Scroll down for the recipe!

 While I tackled the heap of crabs in my sink in preparation for this soup, my hands numbing to the repetitive cracking and childlike messiness that endured, my thoughts easily wandered to catching our own last summer.  I always meant to chronicle it here, but was unimpressed by the photos I'd taken, and well you know how summer just sort of gets away from you with the combination of carefree laziness and cram-it-all-in-ness. We had this planned for about a year and it turns out that looking forward to the big Crab Fest meant that when it was finally here, all I cared about was getting them out of the water and into my stomach rather than obsessively photographing each moment! This is something I'm constantly struggling with as a blogger, the needs of my own before the needs of my reader. Or shall I say, the needs of my stomach. As I plucked through those crab shells though I couldn't help but remember that day and thought you might like to see a little of what its like to take to the ocean and grab dinner for yourself. I won't have the chance to revisit this experience again this summer but I'm already planning Crab Fest 2011! But until then...
    

The great adventure all began in Prince Rupert BC, on Northern BC's (that's Canada, BTW) coast. This is a big time fishing town and of course seafood is all around. Prince Rupert is a lovely town full of history and quaint beauty. I spent 4 years of my childhood there and remember crab sandwiches as more common than peanut butter and jelly. But the story of this small town is for another time. This day was only about one little thing - crab!

When undertaking a day trip such as this one, the right "spot" it essential. This is to be our home base for a few hours, a waiting room if you will, complete with fire pit, plenty of tiny crabs, sea snails and other marine life to entertain the younger members of the party, as well as me. I do love a good beach-comb!

In order to guarantee lunch, we had to give these little critters their "Death Row Meal", if you will. We got quickly to work setting up traps. Some tasty fish heads and other nasty bits are pretty tempting don't you think?

 Traps? Check! Nasty bits? Check! All set to go! 

A Proper Lemon Tart : 100th Post!

 

I can't believe its here! My 100th post. When I started this blog, it had taken me close to a year to actually do it. I wasn't convinced I had anything new to offer the world FULL of food bloggers, but I was reminded time and again that I did have something to say, to share and to learn for myself and so I decided to call it Lemon Tart, took some pretty pictures, struggled with creating a custom banner and hit "publish" and put it out there. I've learned quite a bit about food photography and writing and how I like to tell a story and hopefully show you a bit of who I am through food. I've discovered that so many of my fellow bloggers are kind, generous and as excited as I am about the world of food and in this experience I've found my community. I've also learned tremendous respect for  those amazing bloggers who've not only been doing this for years, but still manage to post weekly or even daily. I'm still working on that, and I promise those of you who've continued to return to these pages, that the next 100 posts are going to go much faster than the first. I still have so much to share with you!

In the beginning I decided I would do it until it no longer fed me, and that was was my simple goal. Well, its turns out it continues to feed me, and hopefully my readers too, and I can see many more "100" posts to come. Thanks to each of you who have continued to return, thank you for your comments and your interest in what I have to say. While I can say I started this little blog of mine for myself, I continue to do it for you.

So celebrations aside now, I must say its rather shameful of me to call my blog lemon tart with nary a recipe for a lemon tart to be found.  If you are a lover of that sweet and tart, soft and crunchy, most classic of all desserts, look no furthur. Today I'm sharing my most trusted lemon tart recipe. It is the first one I ever made, the first dessert that I made money and fans from, and so many lemon tarts later, still the one I consider a benchmark for my idea of the perfect lemon tart. Its also the easiest lemon tart recipe I've come across. This tart is exactly that, almost mouth puckering. All too often lemon tarts are too sweet and lacking in lemon. This recipe has just the right balance and has a secret ingredient - oranges! Yes, I know it seems sacrilegious, but it simply balances all the ingredients and gives a sweetness in place of sugar. You can't detect the orange, but its essential for the roundness of flavours. You'll be amazed!

And I have others I want to share with you: a tart that grinds up the entire fruit for the filling, a deconstructed filling that adds cold butter to an already cooked lemon egg mixture, a whipped version I learned in Nice, and a trusted recipe sent to me from a reader and fellow fan of a beloved cookbook author. There are just so many lemon tart recipes out there so stay tuned for more lemony goodness! My love of the lemon tart does not waver and it goes down as one of my top three favourite desserts.