Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

I was at La Buvette about a week ago and had a taste of a lovely leek and cheese tart.  And then I found leeks at the farmers market.  And goat cheese.  And so, I had to find a recipe for a tart.  This is what I used (with some alterations I've noted).  It was tasty warm.  I also just found out a few minutes ago that the leftovers (if there are any) are quite nice cold.

Makes 4 servings.

1 12" pie crust (I used one of the ones by pillsbury that you just unroll and make the size you want)
4-5 medium leeks (I had 4 small leeks, so I added one medium onion, thinly sliced)
2 T olive oil
3 T whipping cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 1/2 T chopped fresh tarragon (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:

• Unfold piecrust, and roll into a 12-inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet. Fold outer 2 inches of dough over, and crimp. Prick bottom of crust with a fork. (I rolled the outer edges into a kind of swirly edge. I thought it was prettier than folding and crimping, but to each her own.)
  
• Bake crust at 425° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Remove root, tough outer leaves, and tops from leeks, leaving 2 inches of dark leaves. Thinly slice leeks; rinse well, and drain.
• Sauté leeks in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. (Do not brown.) Stir in cream, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in tarragon.
• Sprinkle 2 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese on bottom of crust; top with leek mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  
• Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Mine got golden, but not bubbly. And it took more than 20 minutes.  In fact, the goat cheese did not really melt.  I think that the next time I do this, I'll cream the goat cheese with an egg or with some cream cheese or something and put that on the bottom of the tart and then crumble chunks of goat cheese on top.  The flavor of this was great--really rich--but I'd have liked a creamy cheese layer in terms of texture.  But that's just me.

Indian Peach and Tomato Chicken

Makes 4 to 6 servings

It may seem like an odd pairing, but the tangy tomato and lime juice, the sweet ripe peaches, the onions, and the hot green chile peppers all balance out, and the spices weave their own special magic in the dish. (The writer's gloss, not mine. I would say: damn tasty!)

6 to 8 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger
2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed
6 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala + 1/4 teaspoon for garnish
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) chicken, skinned and cut into serving pieces (discard back and wings)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.) In a food processor, process together the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper until minced. Then add the peaches and tomato and process until pureed.

2.) Heat the oil in a large non-stick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the onions until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, black pepper, and salt.

3.) Add the chicken, mix in the pureed peaches and tomato, and cook over high heat the first 5 to 7 minutes, then over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender and most of the juices evaporate and a thick sauce clings to the chicken.

4.) Add the lime juice and 1/4 cup cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with garam masala, and serve.

Coconut Peanut Curry

Recipe slightly modified from From The Whole Foods Market Cookbook
Makes 4 1/2 Cups

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 small red onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 teaspoons)
1-2 serrano pepper (or any hot pepper from the garden), seeded and minced
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons curry powder
4 teaspoons cumin
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
5 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons honey
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water

Heat canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic, serrano pepper, and ginger until onion is translucent. Add curry powder and cumin; sauté over low heat for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, peanut butter, cilantro, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ketchup, and water. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking often. Reduce the heat; simmer for 10 minutes.

Saute vegetables, meat or tofu (I used eggplant, fresh green beans and beets)in a wok a few minutes with a smidge of oil, then added the cooked sauce and simmer until tender, stirring and adding water occasionally if it gets too thick. I served with basmati rice, which was delicious. I think jasmine rice would be even better.

This is such a good dish to use the cornucopia of vegetables that are available, cheap and yummy right now.

You all would appreciate a good bran muffin recipe, right?

Mix:
3 T. canola oil
2 eggs
2 T. honey and or/molasses
1 c. milk

Mix (in another bowl):
1/2 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. white flour
1 c. bran (I buy in bulk at Whole Paycheck)
3 t. baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 c. sugar
raisins (optional)

Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients only until combined.

Pour into 12 lined muffin cups. Bake 18 minutes at 425 degrees.

These are not tough at "healthy" tasting-- they are light and yummy. And, rumor has it, they do wonder's for Ben W.'s intestinal tract.

Zesty Grilled Chicken

Here's a basic chicken marinade that we've been enjoying lately. I usually let the chicken remain in the marinade at least 6 hours. While grilling the chicken, I boil the remaining marinade for seven minutes & spoon over the meat when it's finished as a sauce. We have enjoyed the chicken with & without the sauce.

6 T. White Vinegar

3 T. Canola Oil

2 T. Ketchup

2 t. Parsley

1 1/2 t. Garlic Salt

1/2 t. Paprika

1/4 Dried Oregano

1/8 t. Hot Pepper Sauce (I use Frank's/Tabasco)

1/8 t. Worcestershire Sauce

1 Bay Leaf

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Place chicken breasts in large, re-sealable plastic bag and pour marinade over chicken. Turn to coat. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Grill chicken on medium heat for 6-8 minutes per side.

Slap Your Mama Good Yogurt Pancakes

These aren't healthy but they're the best we've made. SO GOOD and easy. This might be the last we try. I think a cast iron pan makes a difference. The real maple syrup, tapped from one of Caleb's co-worker's trees, may have made the difference as well.

Slightly less than 2 cups flour, all-purpose
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup yogurt, plain (we used whole yogurt, so good...and bad)
1/2 cup sour milk
2 large eggs slightly beaten
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine yogurt, milk, and eggs. Stir in melted butter.

Pour liquids into flour mixture, mixing just until dampened.

Cook on hot cast iron pan, sprayed lightly with cooking oil.

Modified from this recipe

Extra zucchini?

Make this amazing pasta dish from Smitten Kitchen.