Kitchie Coo

I have been out of a cooking groove lately.  I don't fall asleep dreaming of the gourmet meals I'll be making over the weekend.  I don't salivate over every single thing I see on Pinterest.  I have a stack of cooking magazines I haven't touched in months and my recipe stand is collecting dust. While I have an awesome excuse for all of this, I really do miss cooking.  A lot.

My awesome excuse?  My awesome husband.  He is off of school for the summer, and home with Anna during the days while I trudge off to work.  I walk into the house every night after work to the most beautiful scene before my eyes...Mace preparing dinner, Anna by his side on her stool "helping" him.  Two sets of matching eyes, two vibrant smiles turning to greet me.  Swoon.


A couple times though, I have dusted off my apron and plunged into the kitchen to make one of my all-time favorite summer meals. I love the fresh produce and simple flavor combinations that come along with summer cooking. This galette is the perfect vehicle to showcase those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that abound during the summer months.    The cornmeal crust replaces the heavy, buttery crust of traditional galettes and gives it a lightness perfect for these hot summer months.


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Cheesy Tomato Galette with Cornmeal Crust

Crust:
Adapted from Cooking Light
1 1/2 cups (200grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled in freezer 20 minutes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
2 large heirloom tomatoes (or other fresh ripe tomato)
8 ounces (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup ricotta (homemade recipe here)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ounces (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese, shredded

To make the crust: Add flour, cornmeal, and salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine.  Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal.  Turn the food processor on and slowly add the ice water until just combined (don't form a ball).  Dump mixture onto counter and gently form into a disk shape.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes and up to one day.

Preheat oven to 425F.

To make the filling: Slice the tomatoes approximately 1/4" thick, lay on a dry paper towel and lay another paper towel on top.  This will soak up excess water in the tomatoes and reduce the amount of excess moisture when the galette is baked.

Add the mozzarella, ricotta, basil salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Roll crust on a lightly floured counter into a 14" circle.  Fold in half, then in half again and move to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Unfold crust.

Spread mozzarella mixture evenly on the crust, leaving a 2" border around the outside edge.  Top cheese with tomato slices, then Parmesan.  Gently fold edges of crust over all around, to partly cover filling.

Bake in middle rack of oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and...

EAT IT!!

So, I was a bit indulgent and bought my 1 year old an apron for Christmas. What's the big deal?  A girl can dream, right?

Oh, this girl makes my day, everyday. She's so darn cute. I think Mace and I say this at least 47 times a day. She really made my Christmas too.

Its so fun to experience everything through a child's eye again...it makes you remember just how cool life really is.  My train of thought these last couple weeks has been about slowing down and living in every moment. I watch Anna and the only thing she knows how to do is live in the moment. She doesn't have an agenda for the day, she doesn't worry about the time, she doesn't focus on how many things she needs to try and cram into her day in order to feel like she's accomplished something at the end of the day. She focuses solely on what is right in front of her. She reads a book, then she sees her piano and plays a tune, she gives me a hug, she smiles and she's off again to harass the dog and eat her lunch that she threw on the floor. She's happy and she's content.

I want to live this way. I want to focus only on those things in my present environment. I want to stare into my husband's eyes and talk about our days and not worry about cleaning up the kitchen. I want to sit on the floor and play with my daughter and not get distracted by my email or all the dog fur piling up in the corners (oh, but there's so much). This is my resolution for 2012. Slow down. Enjoy this day, this hour, this moment.

I do feel this way sometimes already.  I feel this way in the kitchen.  I never think about anything else I so urgently need to do when I am chopping vegetables or kneading dough or lovingly decorating a cake for somebody-I-love's birthday.  When I am in the kitchen I am in a world that is solely mine and I am pouring love and joy and creativity into food.  Delicious dishes that will nourish the people closest to my heart.


On Christmas Eve I made dinner for my family and dear friends and poured the love on thick.  I made a spinach and mushroom tart that my mom-in-law raved about for days.  I was proud of this meal and sat back to enjoy our evening, and basking in each moment we spent together.  I hope you were able to pour some love out in your own little way to those you adore this holiday season.  It's a few days late, but Happy New Year!



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Mushroom, Spinach & Goat Cheese Tart
Serves 6-8

Crust
Adapted from Simply Recipes

2 1/2 (350 grams) cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen (see note), cut into 1/2" cubes
6-8 tbsp ice water

*note: this crust turns out the best if you freeze the cut-up butter for at least 20 minutes prior to using.

Filling
1 lb (16 oz) Mushrooms, sliced (I used mini portobellos, but cremini or any field mushroom would work too)
1/2 Red onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb (16 oz) Spinach, blanched or thawed frozen, and wrung dry (see tip here)
10 oz Goat cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

To make the crust: add flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter 1/3 at a time until incorporated and it looks gravelly.  Slowly add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together when pinched.  You may not need the entire 4 tbsp.  Remove the dough from the food processor and knead gently until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball.  Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 425F.  Combine mushrooms, onion and garlic and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray.  Roast mushrooms in the oven for 20 minutes, or until softened.

In a large bowl combine the hot mushrooms, spinach and 8 oz (1 cup) of goat cheese.  Stir to combine.  The hot mushrooms will aid in melting the goat cheese and will help evenly combine all the ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

On a well floured counter or pastry mat, roll the crust dough into a 14-inch circle.  Gently, fold the pastry in half and move to a pizza pan covered with parchment paper, then unfold.  Cover the dough within an inch of the edge with the mushroom and spinach mixture.  Top with the remaining 2 oz of goat cheese.  Fold the edges of the dough inwards to create a free-form tart.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and flaky.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and...

Eat it!!

If you know anything about me, you know that I am absolutely wild about pecan pie.  I am pecan pie crazy.  If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be pecan pie (ala mode of course, that still counts as one food, right?).  You know who else is a maniac for pecan pie?  My dad.  I am pretty sure its genetic.  If there is pecan pie in the house it will be devoured.  By me and him.  Immediately. 

So, what's this pecan tart business all about then?  Well, here's the deal, it has "brown butter" in the title.  Brown butter is my very favorite ingredient in the whole entire world.  Pecan pie and brown butter wrapped in one beautiful little package?  Gimme!

This tart is hands down the best dessert I've ever tasted in my whole entire life.  Even people that claim they hate pecan pie like this tart.  It is the perfect balance between sweet and salty; and also the perfect balance of amazing and amazing.  This tart graces my table at every holiday, and this was one of the three pies I made for our Thanksgiving feast last week, of course.

The crust is easy peasy.  Flour, brown sugar, salt and brown butter are mixed up with a fork and pressed into the tart pan with your fingers.  No crust to make, chill, roll out, patch, swear at, make again...just a little pat, pat here and there and its done!