winter white

how about a goat cheese & honey tart in beautiful shades of white to make up for the lack of winter white weather? this elegant dessert couldn't be easier to make and the simple flavors of tart goat cheese and yogurt are perfectly complimented by a drizzle of local honey. the recipe is inspired by a tart from an old issue of food & wine but i used the crust from this fall tart and think it turned out wonderfully - enjoy!

Goat Cheese & Honey Tart

serves 8

1/4 cup each almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts (toasted & cooled)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbs flax seeds

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 tbs chilled unsalted butter, diced

1 egg yolk

11 oz goat cheese

2 cups greek yogurt

2 tbs lime juice

2 tsp lime zest

1/3 cup confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup honey

grease a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. in a food processor, grind nuts, flour, flax, sugar and salt into a fine meal. add butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. add egg yolk and pulse until moist clumps form. press dough into bottom and sides of pan, about 1/4-inch thick, and pierce bottom with a fork several times. chill for 30 minutes. preheat oven to 400 degrees F. bake crust 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. cool completely.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat goat cheese, yogurt, lime juice and zest until combined. add sugar and beat until smooth. spread the filling evenly into the crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. just before serving, heat the honey in a small saucepan until it's a thinner consistency and drizzle over tart.

roasted grapes

apologies for the lack of posting last week. having a cold in june is no fun at all! at least in the winter you can bundle up in a cozy blanket on the couch with a cup of hot tea and watch holiday movies - but in the summer, it's warm and uncomfortable inside, tortuously sunny outside and there's nothing on tv worth watching but old reruns of top chef and real housewives of where ever. but we are feeling better and ready to cook! this tart is a random creation born out of buying too many beautiful red grapes. the flavors are mostly savory with a hint of sweetness from the roasted grapes and a little wintry with the addition of thyme. perfect for lunch with an arugula salad and a glass of viognier!

Roasted Grape & Shallot Tart

crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks

3-4 tbs ice water

preheat oven to 375 degrees F. in a food processor, pulse flour, cornmeal and salt to combine. add butter and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. add ice water while pulsing, just until dough comes together. press evenly into a 10 1/2 x 7-inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. chill 20-30 minutes or until firm. blind bake using foil and pie weights or rice for 12 minutes. remove foil and bake for 5-8 more minutes.

filling:

1 cup red seedless grapes

4 shallots, peeled & sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds

1 small bunch fresh thyme

2 tbs olive oil

8 oz goat cheese, softened

1/2 cup ricotta

1 egg

1/4 tsp lemon zest

salt & pepper

combine grapes, shallots and 5-6 sprigs of thyme on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. roast at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until grapes are shiny but not wilted. remove thyme and set aside. in a small bowl, combine goat cheese, ricotta, egg, lemon zest, salt and pepper. spread evenly in baked tart shell and top with roasted grapes and shallots. bake 20-25 minutes or until filling is set and crust is lightly browned. garnish with a little fresh chopped thyme and fresh cracked black pepper. enjoy!