Tomato Pesto Tart with Cauliflower Crust

“Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.”

-Mark Twain, Pudd’nhead Wilson

During the Victorian era, cauliflower was more highly regarded than its less expensive cousin, the cabbage plant. As Twain’s somewhat snarky quote suggests, it was viewed as a more refined vegetable. Cauliflower reproduces by seed and is harvested at the bud stage, before it has a chance to blossom. The edible florets are actually made from small, tightly packed buds, sometimes referred to as “curds.” Cauliflower belongs to the species Brassica oleracea, along with cabbage, collard greens, kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Unlike its close relatives, cauliflower is not green. This is a result of the leaves which, if left to grow long enough, cover the entire head, preventing the florets from producing chlorophyll. The resulting white “curds” are a tasty veggie on their own, but they’re also quite adaptable. In recent years chefs and recipe developers have gotten incredibly creative with cauliflower, playing with the texture and using it as a low carb alternative to starchy sides like potatoes, rice andcouscous. From soups to salads to gratins, roasted or pickled, cauliflower is a wonder. College education or not, it is certainly one of the most versatile vegetables out there.

Here, inspired by a delicious Cauliflower Pizza Crust recipe I found on my friend Lori’s blogRecipe Girl, I set out to create a summery tomato tart with a cauliflower crust. This recipe is completely grain and gluten free, but it does contain copious amounts of dairy. It’s a cheese-fest, and it’s divine. The cauliflower bakes together with the spice, cheese and egg to create a tasty base for toppings. Though it’s not like a flour crust– the center is a bit soft and slices are best eaten with a fork than by hand– it provides a solid enough foundation for a bevy of Italian-inspired toppings. The flavor is out of this world. Yes, the cheese is an indulgence, but for those watching their carbs it is a terrific substitute for a crusty flour-based tart. If you like, you can use the “crust” as a base for your favorite pizza toppings like my friend Lori did. Enjoy!

If you want to make your pesto homemade, try this recipe: Fresh Basil Pesto

 

Tomato Pesto Tart with Cauliflower Crust

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. clean cauliflower florets
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp oregano
• 3/4 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup basil pesto - for a homemade recipe, click here
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• A few sprigs of fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste (optional)

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

• Food processor, microwave, baking sheet, parchment paper or silpat

Total Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 6

Kosher Key: Dairy

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Pulse your cauliflower florets in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbles or couscous (don't over-process to a paste). Alternatively you can hand grate the cauliflower using the fine holes on your grater.
• Place the processed cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it on high for 7 minutes. No need to add any liquid, the cauliflower will steam itself. While cauliflower is cooking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
• Take the cauliflower out and stir it repeatedly to release steam and cool it down, until it is lukewarm (not hot) to the touch.
• To the bowl with the cauliflower, add the mozzarella, egg, oregano, minced fresh garlic, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir the mixture with a fork until well blended.
• Place the cauliflower mixture in a pile in the center of the lined baking sheet. Gently press out the mixture to form a 9-10 inch circle of even thickness, making sure to keep the center as thin as the edges. This is the beginning of your cauliflower "crust."
• Use your fingers to gently press against the outer edge of the crust to form a small edge around the circle.
• Lay both hands flat in the center of the circle and GENTLY press to flatten out the middle, ensuring an even thickness throughout the crust.
• Place the crust into the hot oven and let it bake for about 20 minutes, turning the baking sheet around once halfway through baking, till the crust is golden brown.
• While crust is cooking, slice the tomatoes thin and shred or chiffonade the basil.
• Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Use a spatula to very gently slide the cooked crust off of the parchment paper directly onto a greased baking sheet. Preheat your oven's broiler. Spread out the pesto onto the center surface of the crust to the outer edges. Sprinkle half of the goat cheese evenly across the top of the pesto. Lay the sliced tomatoes on, then sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese across the top. Sprinkle the surface evenly with crushed red pepper flakes.
• Place the tomato tart into the oven under the broiler. Broil for 3-4 minutes until hot and bubbly, keeping an eye on the crust to make sure it doesn't burn (it will get dark brown but shouldn't blacken).
• Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve sliced warm or at room temperature. Keep in mind that the bottom "crust" of this tart will be slightly soft in the center. Slices are best eaten with a fork and knife.

Steve Drus's Cheese Blintz

  

If you have never had a cheese blintz before you are missing out on a wonderfully sweet treat. These are crispy on the outside and so sweet and creamy on the inside. Try these once, and you will be making them again and again.

These are similar to what are served at the IHOP, but they are also served at many Jewish holidays. You can top these with powdered sugar, or preserves, a small dollop of sour cream, or you can even eat them plain. It doesn’t matter. The wonderfully thin pancakes are a lot like Norwegian pancakes so you don’t even really need to fill them, but this creamy sweet filling is something you don’t want to miss.
The batter requires a step that you normally don’t do, here you mix together the ingredients and let them rest in the bowl for about an our in the refrigerator so the flour expands and the batter texture improves. So be patient during that hour. To make up for this you can prepare the blintz ahead of time, and simply brown just before serving.
For me I find that if you use a ladle, you will get a uniform size, which makes rolling these up very helpful. I like to prepare mine either in a small skillet or on a large griddle if I need to make a few batches at once.

·         Recipe Type: Breakfast

·         Prep time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

·         Cook time: 20 minutes

·         Serves: 6

Cheese Blintz are a wonderful thin pancake filled with a sweet creamy cheese filling.

Ingredients

·         4 large eggs

·         1 cup milk

·         1 cup flour

·         1/4 cup sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 cup ricotta cheese

·         1 8 ounce package cream cheese

·         1/4 cup sugar

·         1 large egg

·         2 teaspoons lemon juice

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl add 4 eggs and milk beat together well. Mix in 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before using. While the batter is chilling you can prepare the filling by combining the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer in a small bowl. Mix until you have a uniform mixture.

Heat a small non-stick skillet preferably six or seven inches over a medium high heat, spray skillet with non-stick spray and ladle in about 3 ounces of batter. The pancake will cook for about 60 seconds before it begins to bubble and the pancake begins to dry, flip over and cook for another 15 seconds or so. When all pancakes are done add cheese filling.

To make cheese filing combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Stir until well blended, the mixture may remain a little lumpy. The lumps will go away when you cook the blintz.

Add cheese filling in the lower third of the pancake. Flip the bottom third up to the middle of the pancake. Then flip the two slides to the middle. Then flip the top portion down. These will look like mini burritos.

To brown blintz add a small pat of butter to the skillet and brown on both sides, this will take about 60 seconds each side, and serve with your favorite toppings.

Potato Salad with Dill and Dijon Mustard

Spanish explorers introduced potato salad to Europe during the 1500s. The earliest versions were made from boiled potatoes mixed with wine or vinegar and spices. The America version we are familiar with arrived with European settlers. The earliest recipes for potato salad were published during the mid 1800s and were made by coating boiled potatoes in a dressing made from vinegar, oil and herbs. Culinary historians believe this mixture was influenced by German cuisine, which tends to be a mix of spicy, sour and sweet. Mayonnaise was likely introduced to potato salad recipes around the 1920s and 1930s when brands like Best Foods, Miracle Whip and Hellman’s rose in popularity.

I made this potato salad over the weekend for Memorial Day and was reminded how delicious it is. When the weather warms up and we start our yearly outdoor feasting, this is one of my go-to chilled salad recipes. It’s evolved a bit over the years; I used to make it with mayonnaise only, but recently I started subbing half the mayo for Greek yogurt to lighten it up a bit. I think the substitute actually improves the flavor, and it definitely cuts down on calories. Whole grain Dijon mustard and fresh dill are game-changers here, they take an otherwise ordinary potato salad recipe to a whole new level. Don’t use regular Dijon mustard, the flavor is too sharp for this recipe. Whole grain is milder.

My husband loves this salad, he calls it “dangerously good.” Dangerous, because once we start eating it we can’t stop! If you’re making this for a barbecue or sharing at a picnic, you can easily double the recipe to feed more people. Looking for a dairy-free recipe? Substitute mayo or vegenaise for the Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Potato Salad with Dill and Dijon

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs red new potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks (peeled or unpeeled)
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise or vegenaise
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard (make sure it's whole grain!)
• 2 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste) plus 2 tsp salt for potato cooking water
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
• Sprig of fresh dill to garnish (optional)

Prep Time: 45 Minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Servings: 4

Kosher Key: Dairy

• You can use peeled or unpeeled potatoes in this salad. If you decide not to peel them, make sure you scrub them very well to get rid of any residual dirt. Boil 3 quarts of water with 2 tsp salt. Add the new potato chunks to the salted water and bring back to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until they become fork tender. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't overcook. As soon as they are tender, drain the potatoes, return them to the warm pot so they will dry out, and let them return to room temperature.
• In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh dill, vinegar, whole grain Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper to make a dressing.
• Place the cooled potato chunks in a salad bowl. Add dressing. Stir gently to combine until all potato pieces are evenly coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
• Chill salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold.
• Note: This recipe is gluten free when you you use GF-certified packaged products. To make the recipe dairy free, replace the Greek yogurt with mayonnaise or vegenaise.
• 

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CATEGORY: D

Tarragon Recipes

Tarragon Pronounced: TEHR-uh-gon

An herb with narrow, pointed, gray-green leaves with a distinctive anise or licorice flavor. Only the leaves are edible. Tarragon is excellent with seafood, fruits, poultry, eggs and most vegetables, as well as sauces, particularly bearnaise sauce. Tarragon can easily dominate other flavors, and care should be taken when using tarragon. Tarragon leaves should be used fresh, as the aroma of dried tarragon is usually very weak. French or german tarragon is sweet and aromatic, reminiscent of fennel, anise and licorice. Russian tarragon has coarser, paler leaves and is not fragrant and tastes slightly bitter. The french variety is most often used in cooking.

Ingredient

Season: available year-round

Matches well with: artichokes, bearnaise sauce, carrots, chicken, eggs, fish, lobster, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, rabbit, salads, shellfish, sole, spinach, stuffings, tomatoes, veal

Béarnaise sauce

Béarnaise sauce
Béarnaise sauce. The basic sauce is smooth; chopped herbs were added to finish it.
Alternative names	Choron sauce
Place of origin	Paris, France
Main ingredients	egg yolk, clarified butter, white wine vinegar
Cookbook:Béarnaise sauce   Béarnaise sauce

Béarnaise sauce is a sauce made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks, white wine vinegar and flavored with herbs. It is considered to be a 'child' of the mother Hollandaise sauce, one of the five sauces in the French haute cuisinemother sauce repertoire.^[1] The difference is only in their flavoring: Béarnaise uses shallot, chervil, peppercorn, and tarragon, while Hollandaise uses lemonjuice or white wine. Its name is related to the province of Béarn, France.

In appearance, it is light yellow and opaque, smooth and creamy.

Béarnaise is a traditional sauce for steak.^[2][3]

Contents

  

• 1 History
• 2 Preparation
• 3 Derivatives of Béarnaise sauce
• 4 Mis-association
• 5 Notes
• 6 References
• 7 External links

History

The sauce was likely first created by the chef Collinet, the inventor of puffed potatoes (pommes de terre soufflées), and served at the 1836 opening of Le Pavillon Henri IV, a restaurant at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, not far from Paris. Evidence for this is reinforced by the fact that the restaurant was named for Henry IV of France, a gourmet himself, who was born in the province of Béarn.^[4]

Preparation

A Béarnaise sauce is simply clarified butter, an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar. It takes years of practice for the result to be perfect.^[5]

Like Hollandaise sauce, there are several methods for the preparation of Béarnaise sauce. The most common preparation is a bain-marie method where a reduction of vinegar is used to acidify the yolks. Escoffier^[6] calls for a reduction of wine, vinegar, shallots, fresh chervil, fresh tarragon and crushed peppercorns (later strained out), with fresh tarragon and chervil to finish instead of lemon juice. Others are similar.^[7] Alternatively, the flavorings may be added to a finished Hollandaise (sans lemon juice). Joy of Cooking^[8] describes a blender preparation with the same ingredients. A faux Béarnaise can be produced by adding capers and tarragon to a Hollandaise.^[9]

Derivatives of Béarnaise sauce

• Sauce Choron is a variation of béarnaise without tarragon or chervil, plus added tomato purée.^[10][11] It is named afterAlexandre Étienne Choron.
• Sauce Foyot (a.k.a. Valois) is béarnaise with meat glaze (Glace de Viande) added.^[12][13]
• Sauce Colbert is Sauce Foyot with the addition of reduced white wine.^[14]
• Sauce Paloise is a version of béarnaise with mint substituted for tarragon.^[15]

Mis-association

Béarnaise sauce is often referred to as Bernaise sauce, as if it were from Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, which is in no way connected with this sauce or its origins.^[16] The sauce's name refers to the Béarn region, a former province now in thedépartement of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in southwestern France.

Notes

1. Jump up^ The family is sometimes referred to as "mayonnaise sauces" as they are, like mayonnaise, based on the emulsion of an oil in egg yolk.
2. Jump up^ Escoffier: 89
3. Jump up^ Julia Child
4. Jump up^ Bearn
5. Jump up^ Restaurateur Fernand Point (1897–1955) in Ma Gastronomie.
6. Jump up^ Escoffier: 89
7. Jump up^ Cookwise, pp.304-5
8. Jump up^ Joy of Cooking p.359
9. Jump up^ Cookwise, pp.302-3.
10. Jump up^ Escoffier: 90
11. Jump up^ Joy of Cooking p.359
12. Jump up^ Escoffier: 91
13. Jump up^ Joy of Cooking p.359
14. Jump up^ Escoffier: 41
15. Jump up^ Escoffier: 141
16. Jump up^http://www.cookthink.com/reference/2617/What_is_Bearnaise_sauce

References[edit]

• Child, Julia; Louisette Bertholle; Simone Beck (1961). Mastering the Art of French Cooking. New York: Knopf.

• Corriher, Shirley (1997). "Ch. 4: sauce sense". Cookwise, the Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking (1st ed.). New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc. ISBN 0688102298.

• David, Elizabeth (1960). French Provincial Cooking. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-118153-0.

• Escoffier, Auguste (1982) [Trans. fm 4th French (Flammarion) ed. 1921]. "Ch. 1: Sauces". La Guide Culinaire [The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery] (in French). English translation by H.L. Cracknell and R.J. Kaufmann (First American ed.). New York: Mayflower Books. ISBN 0-8317-5478-8.
• Rombauer, Irma S.; Rombauer Becker, Marion (1975). Joy of Cooking. New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. (MacMillan). ISBN 0-02-604570-2.

Bearnaise Sauce

Total Time:
15 min
Prep:
5 min
Cook:
10 min

Yield:4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 egg yolks
1 stick butter, melted
Salt and pepper
Directions
Make the bearnaise reduction first. In a small saucepan, combine the tarragon, shallots, vinegar and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Blend yolks and bearnaise reduction together. With the blender running, add 1/3 of the butter in a slow steady stream. Once it emulsifies, turn the blender speed up to high and add the remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper and set aside in a warm spot to hold the sauce.

Tuna Tarragon Pasta Salad



Total Time:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
30 mins
15 mins
15 mins

DRESSING
1 cup mayonnaise or 1 cup salad dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon sugar (1 to 2 teaspoons, to taste)
SALAD
2 (12 ounce) cans tuna in water, drained (or albacore)
2 cups frozen green peas, no need to thaw
1 lb shell pasta, cooked to al dente, drained and cooled
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon pepper (to taste)

Orange Roughy With Tarragon and Vegetables

Total Time:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
25 mins
10 mins
15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings:
4

4 orange roughy fillets
1 zucchini, julienned
1 small red pepper, julienned
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
2 carrots, julienned
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Directions:

1
Preheat grill.
2
Heat oil in large skillet and quickly cook vegetables (about 2-3 minutes on a medium-high heat).
3
Take four large pieces of aluminum foil. Place one piece of fish on each.
4
Top with 1/2 tablespoon butter, 1/4 of the vegetables and 1/4 of the tarragon.
5
Repeat for the other pieces.
6
Wrap tightly and place on grill.
7
Grill over a medium heat for 12 - 18 minutes. Open carefully because the steam can be very hot.

Chicken Salad with Tarragon

Inspiration for good food can be found anywhere, even Starbucks, where I had a delicious chicken salad sandwich recently. The key ingredients other than chicken? Cranberries and tarragon. French tarragon is a distinctive herb, with a slight anise or licorice aroma. We don’t use it that often; I grew some last year and don’t think we used it more than once or twice the whole season. But it does pair well with chicken. The dried cranberries add some sweetness to the chicken salad, and the lemon juice just enough acidity to brighten all the flavors.

 Tarragon Chicken Salad


Total Time:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
50 mins
20 mins
30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings:
5
Units: US | Metric
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 celery ribs
1/4 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper
Directions:

1
Bake (~25min) or boil chicken breasts (~45min) until tender and cooked through.
2
Cut breasts into bite-sized pieces.
3
Discard skin and bones if you did not use boneless, skinless breasts.
4
Whisk sour cream and mayonnaise together and pour over chicken.
5
Add celery, walnuts, tarragon, salt and pepper to taste and toss well.
6
Refrigerate and enjoy!