Tarte aux pêches (Julia's way then mine)

Here's a great little tribute to Julia, and her peach (or apricot) tart (MAFC I p. 639), written just after her death for the Washington Post. I have simplified it just a bit to get it in the oven in 10 minutes flat, but I think it's almost as good. And then I add a recipe, just as fast, that is, in my experience, more typical of French cooking, with custard.

For 6 people
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

9-inch pastry round (such as Pepperidge Farms)
8 to 10 fresh apricots or 3 to 4 freestone peaches
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pea-sized dots
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup apricot preserves

1. Halve and remove the pits from the peaches. Cut the halves into slices.
2. Fit the prepared pastry into a fluted pastry pan with a removable bottom.
3. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar in the bottom of the pastry shell.
4. Place the peach slices in concentric circles, close together in the shell.
5. Sprinkle on the rest of the sugar. Dot with the butter.
6. Bake in the middle level of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit has colored lightly and the juices have become syrupy.
7. Meanwhile, microwave the apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons of sugar for one minute. Set aside
8. Slip the tart onto a rack. Decorate with the slivered almonds, and spread on the apricot glaze.

And here's one with a custard, the way you see it in French pastry shops--and almost as pretty.

Tarte aux pêches et amandes

Serves 6-8

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

1 round of pastry for a 9 inch pie pan
1/2 cup pulverized blanched almonds (4 ounces in a food processor with 1 tablespoon sugar)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
2 eggs

1. Lay the pastry over a 9 inch fluted tart shell with a removable bottom and crimp the edges.
2. Halve and remove the pits from three or four ripe peaches and arrange them tightly in the shell, cut side down.
3. Combine the other ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a wire whip until blended.
4. Pour the mixture over the peaches, pushing it off the tops of the peaches.
5. Bake at 400 degrees in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden, the custard is golden in places, and set.
6. Let cool for an hour on a rack. Remove the tart by carefully pushing it up from the bottom.

All these very French, very easy peach tarts have almond powder. 10 minutes with a prepared crust and don't peel the peaches.
http://www.750g.com/fiche_de_cuisine.2.123.4272.htm

Much the same thing from Marmiton, with cream (not fraiche) and diced peaches.
http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_tarte-aux-peches-aux-amandes_37826.aspx

Another similar: great photos
http://lesbonsptiplats.canalblog.com/archives/2007/08/17/5879940.html

Maizena is cornstarch!

Concombre sauté: Quick cukes: Sauteed cucumbers

Cucumbers are such an uninspiring vegetable. But they are always available, and cheap, and crunchy, and refreshing. And I am trying to find ways this summer to use them.

Julia peels and slices and soaks them in vinegar for 30 minutes before baking them for an hour (MAFC p. 499). Lovely, and probably less than 10 minutes active time. But I never think ahead about veg. I want something to use those cukes in the frig now. I love sauteed zucchini, so why not cucumber? As is often the case, Emiril has good things to do with simple things.

Serves two. Inspired by Emiril.

one large cucumber (English or garden variety) or two small ones
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
chopped basil and/or mint, or dill
optional: fresh grated nutmeg, chopped garlic, minced shallot or scallion or green onion tops, added with about one minute left to go.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan.
2. Cut the ends off the cucumbers and halve lengthwise. With a spoon remove the seeds, if any. Slice about 1/3 inch thick.
3. Add the cucumbers and sauté, tossing when the cucumbers have browned a bit on one side.
4. Add the herbs, chopped, and toss. Grate a little of the optional nutmeg. Season and serve.

Salade de concombres à la crème fraîche ou au vinaigre

I love cucumbers in the summer. They are refreshing. They have no calories. They taste like Iowa. I think my first exposure to cooking was in a funky rooming house where I lived my first year in college. A guy down the hall would make cucumber and onion salad. He was quite heavy. He said it was the perfect diet food. I agree.

And for those times when you want something with cream, hey, cucumbers are still light and full of flavor.

Salade de concombres à la crème fraîche

1 cucumber, medium or large
1/4 cup crème fraîche (or heavy cream or Greek-style yogurt or light yogurt)
1/2 to one tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs, such as dill, mint, chervil (cilantro), basil, parsley, or chives.

1. Peel the cucumber, leaving strips of green. Slice it into 1/8 inch slices. Place it in them bowl.
   
2. Add the salt and lemon juice and toss.
   
3. Then add the crème fraîche and toss.
   
4. Chop the herbs and garnish with them. Grind the pepper onto all.
   

Salade concombres au vinaigre

1 cucumber, medium or large
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 to one tablespoon white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar)
1/8 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs, such as tarragon, dill, mint, chervil (cilantro), basil, parsley, or chives.

1. Peel the cucumber, leaving strips of green. Slice it into 1/8 inch slices. Place it in a plastic bowl.
   
2. Add the salt, vinager, and minced onion and toss.
   
3. Chop the herbs and garnish with them. Grind the pepper onto all.
   

http://www.easy-french-food.com/cucumber-salad-recipe.html

Is this my competitor blog?!

Also contains Salade concombres vinaigre

Braised celery

Holidays are, for me, leftovers. And killing time playing games, which we did with Scrabble (see our masterpiece below, in which J and I again lost to our daughter). And I always have not only leftover turkey and potatoes and gravy, but also celery, which I overbuy for the dressing.

Celery takes more calories to chew than it provides to the body. It is calorie negative--or positive, depending on your point of view. So it is the perfect after-holiday leftover accompaniment. And it takes flavors marvelously. Julia has a lovely slow recipe for it (MAFC I p. 491), with a lot of butter. But this one has the butter optional and a lot of other lighter flavor enhancers. If you want more done (less crisp-tender) celery, cut it into half inch pieces or smaller, instead of the one-inch pieces here. Or microwave it (instructions below).

Serves 4

1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock (preferably homemade chicken stock--see this blog)
1 pound celery (slice off about two inches of the end, and reserve the leaves).
1 tablespoon Wondra
Salt & pepper to taste (be generous with the pepper)
Optional: One or more of the ingredients below:

1. Heat the stock on high in a skillet large enough to hold the celery in a single layer.
2. Meanwhile, wash and trim the celery, then slice into one-inch pieces.
3. Add the celery to the skillet and stir to wet.
4. Sprinkle the flour and salt and pepper over top.
5. Cover and shake a bit, holding down the lid, till the flour is no longer visible (a glass top lid is helpful here, but it's really impossible to go wrong).
6. Cook til the celery reaches the 'crunch' you like, shaking or stirring occasionally.
7. Garnish with parsely and enjoy!

VARIATIONS: Add at the beginning (or adjust seasoning with at the end),
Butter
Olive oil
Garlic, chopped or minced
Onion, chopped or minced
Lemon juice--a few drops to brighten the taste
Vinegar: white wine, balsamic, or cider (again a few drops)
Coriander seed, crushed with the flat of a knife or a mortar and pestle.
White wine
Sage leaves (for a lovely late Fall aroma)

Microwave Instructions

1. Mix celery slices, stock, salt, pepper, and any other ingredients in a plastic microwave safe bowl (or in a plastic bag, tied loosely, and set in such a bowl--to save cleanup).
2. Cover and microwave on 'MAXIMUM', for 3 minutes.
3. Stir or shake to mix well.
4. Cover and microwave again 'MAXIMUM', for another 3 minutes
5. Leave to rest for 2 minutes.
6. Garnish with parsley.

Bourride rapide--Provencal Fish Stew with Aioli

This fish stew (MAFC II 50) is all sunny and Midi. It reminds me of Uzès, where I spent a lovely lunch before biking down to Pont du Gard.

I used flounder last time I made this (pictured). But snapper or sea bass or catfish or mahi mahi or a range of other fish will do fine, or a combination. Shellfish is great too, and cooks even faster.

Serves 4

1 to 1.5 pounds of fish fillets (firm-fleshed) in pieces no more that 1/2 inch think
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup vegetable stock (best quality)
1 cup aioli mayonnaise with red pepper (see the blog post on aioli light)
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or chopped fresh herbs
1 bay leaf
(optional) 1 tablespoon Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
(optional) herbs or green onions for garnish
(optional) Nice olives for garnish

1. Over the highest heat, bring the wine, clam juice, aioli, and stock to a boil in a large skillet or saucepan.
   
2. Cut up the fish and add it to the pan along with the other herbs and bay leaf.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the fish is just cooked through (about 4 minutes).
4. Add the optional Pernod. Mince the optional green onions or herbs or olives for garnish.
   
5. Serve in a soup bowl with a slice or two of crusty French bread in the bottom. Garnish with chopped basil (a chiffonade, as in the picture).
   

Rattatoulli in 10 minutes

I had lunch in a little restaurant in Avignon, near the ancient wall. The plat du jour was grilled tuna with ratatouille. And it was so different from Julia's (MAFC I 503), so full of little morsels of colorful vegetables al dente, and grand flavor, that I thought it might be 10 minuteable. The little morsels of red pepper, lightly golden zucchini, diced eggplant, and onion sat there on the plate in Provence as a challenge.

After some tries, and a lot of dirty cookware, I conclude that it is possible. (Note that no-stick skillets are cleanable with a good wet wipe, one minute tops.) The trick to 10 minute ratatouille is to be good with a knife. If you can't rough dice an onion in 1 minute, then forget 10 minutes. But really, if it's 15 minutes for this, then it's worth the stretch. It serves six easily. And the ratatouille that's been around awhile gathering character and delicate flavor is much, much better than the fresh--like my wife.

olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced about 1/2 inch.
1 zucchini halved lengthwise and then sliced 3/8 inch thick
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
1 large red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
optional: three strands of fresh thyme and two basil leaves

1. 0.00 Heat three pans (two large and one smaller is fine) over high heat
2. 0.30 Dice the onion and saute it in the small pan, in 1 tablespoon oil, tossing frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
3. 1.30 Peel the eggplant and cut it into 1 inch dice. Saute it in the second large pan. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. 2.30 Cut the pepper into 1/2 inch dice. Saute the peppers in a large pan, in 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. 3.30 Halve the zucchini lengthwise, slice it 3/8 inch thick, and sautee it in the pepper pan adding an another 1 tablespoon olive oil, tossing when the first side is begins to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
6. 4:30 Add the tomato paste to the onions and lower heat to simmer
7. 6.00 Peel and mince the garlic. Add it to the pepper/zuchinni pan and toss.
8. 7:00 Stem the thyme and make a chiffonade of the basil
9. 9:30 Using a rubber spatula, scrape the peppers/zuchinni and garlic into the eggplant pan, along with the onion mixture.
10. 10:00 Add the thyme and toss, correcting the seasoning as necessary. Let stand 5 minutes or more. Garnish with the chiffonade of basil.

Shrimps a la plancha

Shrimps are so sweet. When my John was about 12, he used to do them on the grill for Sunday lunch, carefully heating it up with charcoal to get two minutes of fire--all it took to make them juicy and full of smoke. And he'd put them proudly in the middle of the table and we'd dig in peeling them, with lots of crusty bread.

Now I usually just saute them quickly, with a bit of butter, lemon and garlic--or other seasonings. And I buy them peeled and deveined. Something lost. But are still sweet and good, if I don't overcook them.

But last month I got to go to Barcelona where they cook everything A la Plancha, on a stainless steel griddle, hot, with olive oil. I had the best meal of the trip no doubt at a seafood bar in city market, La Bouqueria--the butcher shop. It is a huge market, with all the fruits and vegetables and meats laid out like a painting. And this little bar is tucked in the back, and locals and vendors come by for a quick coffee or cava (Spanish champagne, drunk like Coke, as far as I can tell). The combo platter I had contained seven things. And all was drenched in an herbed seafood broth (la soupa). Salty and marvelous. The best seafood I think I've ever had.

So when I got back, I tried it shrimp a la plancha. I worked (see above, on the deck, where John used to grill them). I flamed them at the end with a little Pernod, to make it French of course. However, the Catalans have a strong French streak in them. And the southern French are starting to cook A la Plancha too, judging from recipes I've been reading. So here it is, with a few shots of Barcelona for good measure.

Serves 2. 5 minutes total.

1/2 pound peeled, deveined shrimp (24 to the pound or 32* to the pound)
1 tablespoon butter
1 lemon
1 clove garlic (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic in olive oil)

1. Heat a large skillet on high.
2. Peel and mince the garlic (or open the jar of minced garlic in oil)
3. Combine the garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and butter in a ramekin and microwave 20 seconds
4. Add 1 tablespoon cooking oil to the skillet and add the shrimp for one minute, or until they begin to just brown a touch, and turn pink on the cooking side.
5. Off heat. Toss them to turn, and with a fork or tongs turn those that didn't flip.
6. Add the butter mixture, cover, and shake.
7. Serve after one minute under the cover.
   
   

Here's the cook at the seafood bar working two planchas at once. Even the two kinds of clams and the mussels go on the plancha, but with a domed pot lid to steam them. And the squid comes about three ways--the body cavity sliced like calimari, but grilled, the tentacles soft and meaty, and little teeny squid you eat whole and crunchy, like a hairy potato chip. The sardines were a truly amazing food. So sweet. In fact everyting literally tasted sweet.

Most of the secret is no secret. The fish is superbly fresh, and the stuff on the combo plate was (so they assured me) right out of the Mediterranean that morning. The vendors were great at cutting the fish up with these huge knives, and always offered to send the bones and trimmings home (por la soupa), and seemed disapponted when refused.

I also really liked all the meat, mostly pork. The hams were hanging in every butcher shop. They's strip off paper thin slices and sell them for very high prices. Each region, each farm even, noted and advertised, like wineries. I sampled several, and it tased different than the Virginia hams I've had or the French ones. Can't say how. And they also have, lots and lots of bones for sale too.
You can eat very high on the hog there, all the way around the ears and snout. Oh, but of course most of the time the ears and snout of a hog are down in the feeding trough.

The people at the conference were very genial, and we ate a lot of tapas together. In fact, one meals was entirely tapas. Here's the tapas we had at a fancy seafood restaurant on the harbor. Tiny clams, squid, codfish balls, and the lightest vegetables fried tempura-like. I don't know how they got them so light.