baking up a storm

My hand hurts when I type right now, so I've been baking instead. Playing with different dough recipes, fillings, fruits, berries - you name it. I've tried it. The best combination so far is this, a free-formed tart, with a smear of frangipane and a fan of nectarine slices. I'd give you a recipe, but unfortunately I've been playing mix and match with many different recipes, so, currently my frangipane recipe yields about 13oz of frangipane - that would be about 3 cup's worth - while this tart needs only a thickish smear as the base for the fruit. Not entirely practical, is it? You'll just have to be content with a picture for now I'm afraid. Hopefully I'll get the formula down soon.

Pretty picture though, no? Delicious too if I might add.

I should tell you also about that unmitigated disaster that was a tomato and roquefort tart this afternoon. The same dough I made this open-faced tart with, with a filling made of a combination of Roquefort cheese, Boursin - yes that Boursin - and whipped cream, then layered on top with the first crop of dry-farmed tomatoes - so fresh I picked them myself from Joe's farm today. Don't ask me why this combination. It sounded such a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, not so much with the end result. The cheese mixture turned out a rather disturbing shade of green - sort of like the stuff that grows in old, dirty sink - and no amount of lovely tomatoes would save it. Sad.

Meanwhile, my hands smell of butter. My house smells of butter. Even little Ella does too. Life is not so bad.

Comments

[Hilda]

That's happened to me too, the cheese turning green thing when I improvised with a mix of cheeses. I also love the way my hands smell when I make pâte sablée, I admitted as much in my last post. I haven't made a free-form tart before, yours is tempting me to do so...

[Cathy]

Oh that's lovely, Pim.

We bought haricots verts and shallots from Dirty Girl on Saturday. Both were outstanding.

[Val]

I am completely enamored with the idea of a kitten that smells of butter. Ah....

[Natasha]

This is a beautiful site. Great work. Everything looks amazing. Checkout my blog when you get a chance. Cheers. - Natasha.
misscooksalot.blogger.com
citykitchen.wordpress.com

[B]

I'm waiting with baited breath for any kind of pastry recipe you can throw my way! I come from a family of accomplished cooks, but none of us can mark a tart, pie or pastry shell to save our lives. I'm determined to break the curse, as I can't let all the buttery goodness be enjoyed by others :) cheers.

[Patricia Scarpin]

It looks mouthwatering.

[Carl]

My suggestion:
Line your tart pan with your favorite short crust dough. Bake it blind. When cool, give it a slight smear of Dijon mustard; then a thin layer of a mild, but nice cheese (e.g., Cantal); and then a layer (not too thick) of sliced tomatoes. Salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a nice hot oven until it all comes together (but not too long--you'll know by looking). Serve warm or room-temp. Brush with oil just before serving if it needs a little pick-me-up sheen.