Strawberry Tart

Let's try some French Pastry. It's not as hard as you may have heard, just follow the directions exactly, don't use any substitutions, and you will be just fine.

Today we will make a Strawberry Tart. It doesn't take a lot of work, but it does take time. I try to start early the day I want to eat it, or even the day before. But it is well worth it.

One of the first things you will need is a cute little French Pastry Chef to help you out.

First we will make the cookie part of the tart, called Pate Sable

Pate Sable

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup + 2 TBSP sugar*

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,

chilled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 egg yolk

1 TBSP cold water

Pre heat oven to 350* F

Line 10 inch quich pan with circle of parchment paper;

set aside

if you don't have a quiche pan, use a straight sided cake pan or spring form pan

I don't use my food processor for very many things

mostly because it is in the bottom cupboard and behind everything

and I don't like cleaning it. But I use it for this.

If you don't have a processor, use a pastry blender or two knives, like we did for pie crust and biscuts

Combine flour, sugar and butter in processor and mix until consistency of coarse meal.


Combine yolk and water in small bowl.

With machine running, add yolk mixture through feed tube and mix until dough begins to form ball.



Roll dough between sheets of waxed paper into 10 inch circle.

If you wipe your counter just before you put your wax paper down, it will stick and not slip and slide all over the counter top.



Now, here is where pastry gets a bit tricky. Pastry does not like to be handled very much, but as you can see above, my pastry stuck to the wax paper. I didn't flour my paper, because too much flour makes pastry tough and hard and icky.

But because it stuck- probably the humidity in the air, it was raining- I did this instead


I scraped it all off of the wax paper, formed a ball

and rolled it out with my small roller

Here it is all rolled out

If I had rolled it with the wax paper, the instructions would say:

Roll dough between sheets of waxed paper into 10-inch circle. Remove top paper and invert pastry into quiche pan; peel off remaining paper.

Prick pastry thoroughly with fork.
Bake until cookie is well browned, 15-20 minutes,

watching carefully after 15 minutes as it will darken quickly.

I got the center a bit thinner than the rest, so it darkened faster than the outside.

Cool Completely

Pastry Cream:

1 Cup Milk

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 TBSP all purpose flour

2 TBSP (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Bring Milk to boil in heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan over medium heat.

Meanwhile, combine yolks and sugar in small bowl and whisk to blend.

Add flour and beat just until completely mixed

When milk is boiling, gradually stir about 1/3 into yolk mixture

Blend completely

Pour back into saucepan and, whisking constantly, bring to boil over medium heat.

Reduce heat and whisk until mixture is thickened, about 2-3 minutes

Remove from heat and blend in 2 TBSP butter with vanilla

stirring until butter melts.

Pour into bowl and spread light film of butter completely over top,

or set plastic wrap directly on surface (this prevents skin from

forming).

Refridgerate until chilled and firm

To Assemble:

Up to 6 hours before serving, set cookie on serving plate

Using pastry brush, spread 1/4 cup butter liberally over top

(you may not need entire amount, but be sure to get butter in all fork holes to keep crust flaky

You may also use a spoon if you don't have a pastry brush)

Stir pastry cream with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until spreadable;

do not use whisk or electric mixer or cream will thin and be runny

Put cream on cookie

Using brush, (or spoon) spread cream 1/8 inch thick over entire cookie

Finishing

2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled

2-3 oz currant jelly

Toasted sliced almonds(optional)

Powdered sugar(optional)

Hull your strawberries

I have my assistant do this

Place strawberries stem end down in concentric circles to cover top

With all the strawberries

Press jelly through strainer into small saucepan to break up any lumps.

Bring to boil over medium heat.

Immediately brush over strawberries and outer edge of crust to glaze completely.

You can use a spoon if you don't have a pastry brush

With all of the jelly on it.

If I had had some almonds, I would now

Place almonds over outer row of berries.

Set 7-inch circle of waxed paper over center of tart and

liberally sprinkle almonds with powdered sugar

Carefully remove paper and discard.

Refrigerate tart until ready to serve.

But because I forgot to get almonds

I just sprinkled the whole thing with powdered sugar

Tart is very delicate. Be careful when moving it or cookie base might break.

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Eat Well, Live Well

Handle, tang, bolster, blade

Today let's talk knives. What you want to look for when purchasing your knives is very important. I was going to write it all for you, but then I found this great article at Amazon
Because I want to give credit where credit is due, I copied and pasted the entire article, so everything following is from Amazon Know How:

Handle, tang, bolster, blade: that is how a knife is made

There's more to a kitchen knife than a sharp edge. Look for these basics before you buy.

-Handle: Is the handle a clunky piece of hardwood or a sleek piece of rosewood? Or do you prefer a synthetic handle, something a little more ergonomic? The choice can often be personal, and it's not simply a matter of price. Wood has a natural warmth, but actual shaping is limited by the process of mass production. Synthetic handles won't crack and often have the feel of custom-made cutlery. And you'll want to take the size of your hand into account: a small hand will quickly tire of a hefty handle.

-Tang: The tang is the extension of the blade to which the handle is attached with rivets. If the tang doesn't pass through the entire handle, look for another knife--or start saving for an upgrade. The full tang is where you get the weight, balance, and stability of a high-quality knife. The best knife manufacturers use full tangs in all their knives, large and small.

-Bolster: The thick piece of metal between the handle and the heel of the blade, particularly on French-style chef's knives, is also a shield between your fingers and the cutting edge. It's there for safety's sake, and it adds to the balance of the knife. A well-balanced, sharp knife is effortless to use. But not all styles of knives have--or demand--bolsters.

-Blade: The size and shape of the blade help determine function. Boning a chicken with a chef's knife is probably how chicken nuggets were discovered. Select the right blade for the task at hand.

-Construction: There's a reason that stamped blades are less expensive than forged blades: they are punched out of sheets of steel with knife-blade-shaped dies. High-end knives often lay claim to being hand-forged. This doesn't mean an Old World master craftsman worked the blade at a forge and anvil with a big hammer. Picture a factory laborer with a pair of tongs holding on to a hot piece of steel for the several blows of a 100-ton drop forge. There are, however, many steps in the process of making a high-quality knife, and in a couple of them you can count on some human intervention.


Blade Material
-High-carbon stainless steel: Some of the best blades are made of either high-carbon steel or high-carbon stainless steel. The difference between the two kinds of steel is in the alloy, which must be at least 13% chromium to be rust- and stainproof high-carbon stainless steel. Companies such as Wüsthof, Henckels, Forschner, and Tramontina use high-carbon stainless.

-High-carbon steel: High-carbon steel blades, on the other hand, will tarnish over time. But they take a better edge, and it's easier to maintain. The blade is also more flexible. But it does demand a certain amount of upkeep--wiping it dry after use, for example. Or washing it after cutting acidic produce such as onions. Sabatier uses high-carbon steel in some of its knives.

-Ceramic: The relatively new ceramic blades are light and extremely sharp from the factory. But you can't sharpen these knives at home once they lose their edge. The edge is glassy-smooth and will glide across some materials--the paperlike skin of an onion, for example--rather than slicing through. There's no chance of corrosion with ceramic, but it is fragile. Chip the edge and only a wet diamond grinder can bring it back. Fortunately, they're usually backed with a strong warranty.


Types of Blades
-Chef's knife: This is the kitchen workhorse--the main piece of steel--in lengths of 6, 8, and 10 inches for the most part. If you have a big hand, a 6-inch chef's knife will be an annoyance, while a small hand may quickly tire of a 10-inch blade. The blade of a chef's knife is designed to rock on a cutting board for tasks from chopping on down to mincing. The weight and balance of the blade work to your advantage. You can spend $25 to $130 for a good, commercially manufactured chef's knife.

-Boning and fillet knives: These knives come in 5-, 6-, and 7-inch lengths. If you work with a lot of meat, poultry, and fish, you will want one of each. The fillet knife is long and straight, thin and flexible. Boning knives tend to have a curve to the blade, but can be either flexible or rigid. You use the flexible blade to bone poultry, the rigid boning blade to work around bigger bones. These knives cost between $10 and $65.

-Paring and peeling knives: These are little knives you will reach for almost as often as you do your chef's knife. The peeler often has a hooking curve to the blade and is great for cutting zest from citrus fruit. You'll use small knives for any number of peeling, paring, and shaping chores, not to mention cutting the string after you have tied up the chicken for roasting. These run from 2 to 4-1/2 inches and $15 to $50.

-Specialty blades: Cleavers, carving knives, serrated knives, Asian-style vegetable knives: these all have their right place and right time. The long, thin-bladed nature of a carving knife allows for perfect slicing of roasts or fowl. Serrated knives and crusty bread were made for each other. In fact, if you use your good chef's knife to slice crusty bread, you will ruin its edge.


Sharp Advice
Buy the best knives you can afford, and plan on using them for the rest of your life. Knife design has evolved over hundreds of years. If there's a flashy new kid on the block, ask yourself if the new design will stand up over time. Will it be comfortable? Is it necessary?


Knife Care
-Clean your knives after you use them.
-Store your knives in a knife block. Do not throw sharp knives into a drawer.
-Keep your knives out of the dishwasher. This protects the handle and the edge, and it protects your fingers when you aren't paying attention.
-Maintain a good edge with a ceramic stick or a steel.
-Teach your family basic knife skills.

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Eat Well, Live Well

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 egg, stirred

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup Half and Half

1/3 cup sugar*

Mix all ingredients together

Add sliced strawberries*

Pour into freezer container

Add dasher

Put on the lid

Add motor

Ice

Rock salt

Freeze until done- varies with machine

Check it often and add ice and salt as needed

Your freezer motor will change pitch when the ice cream is done

Mine stops

Enjoy a bowl of home made ice cream

*I made a double batch in my freezer.

I also used an alertnative sweetener- Xylitol- and it works just fine. You don't get the sugar and diabetics and those wishing to eat sugar free can use this. Just remember- sugar free does not equal calorie free.

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Eat Well, Live Well

Chicken Scallopini

Ingredients:
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Eat Well, Live Well

Chicken strips

Turkey bacon chunks

Artichoke hearts, capers, mushrooms, onions

Saute until chicken is done.

Serve over Angel Hair pasta and top with Lemon Butter Sauce

Cook Angel hair pasta according to directions

Lemon Butter Sauce

¼ cup white grape juice, apple juice, chicken broth or white cooking wine

½ TBSP onion or garlic powder

½ tsp salt

2 tsp lemon juice

¼ cup melted butter

2 TBSP Veganaise

3 cups water + ¼ cup flour

½ cup coconut milk or rice milk

Minced green onion, chives or parsley

Combine all ingredients with hand blender.

Simmer until thick and serve over pasta.

The day I made this, I didn't have as many people eating, so my pasta to chicken/sauce ratio was off.
I also prefer apple juice or chicken stock to the white grape juice- it changes the flavor. Grape juice is kind of bland, so if you choose to use the grape juice, you may want to add a few more spices to the Lemon Butter Sauce.
You can also make this with regular cream or milk and regular mayonnaise, just substitute where needed. I just prefer this version because it cuts fat and calories.

Ideas

Ok, today is a quick post. It is summer and the days are soon going to be filled with non-stop fun.

Readers, what would you like me to prepare for the lazy, hazy days of summer?


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Eat Well, Live Well