La Domestique | Kitchen Pantry Garden

Summer Pantry

By Jess On July 3, 2012 · Add Comment

We’re taking a week of summer vacation here at la Domestique! We wish you a wonderful Fourth of July filled with good food and friends. While we’re gone, you can still find plenty of summer cooking inspiration in our Summer 2011 Pantry. Have some fun by picking an ingredient and finding tips and recipes for cooking with it. Click on the image below to visit the 2011 Summer Pantry. Cheers!

What are you cooking for the Fourth of July holiday? Share your menu in the comments section. Click Here.

Cook in the Moment: Apricot Frangipane Tart

By Jess On June 27, 2012 · 16 Comments

My favorite part of a meal shared with friends is that magical moment when the dinner plates have been cleared and the table is littered with empty wine bottles and wrinkled cloth napkins. It’s time for dessert! The husband makes a round of coffees and I dig up a bottle of brandy or maybe a tawny port. The tone of conversation at the table changes as we run out of chit chat. It shifts to talk of dreams, worries, and plans for the future. We listen and share. Time seems to slow down. Though we’re all tired and full, none of us wants the night to end. I grab a stack of dessert plates and everyone gets a slice of Apricot Frangipane Tart. The room is quiet as we savor this sweet end to the meal. It’s a cakey tart with a baked almond batter and a buttery crust. The apricots are a surprise, hidden under the deep-brown caramelized surface. Discovered upon first bite, the tart and juicy fruit is a delight, a reminder that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

A sip of smooth, barrel-aged brandy (or maybe a nip in your coffee?) compliments the buttery, almond-flavored tart perfectly. When there are only crumbs left on our plates and our glasses are empty, it’s time to say goodnight. We hug our friends and send them off into the warm summer night. It’s dark. There are dishes to be done. But maybe we’ll have one more slice of Apricot Frangipane Tart- just the husband and I. We’ll linger over the last of the tart, recapping the evening, remembering how good it is to gather at the table with friends in our home.

Apricot Frangipane Tart

The tart project continues, as I set out to mark each seasonal fruit this year by celebrating it in a tart. I came across this recipe for Frangipane Tart in Elisabeth Prueitt’s book, Tartine. She writes, “Here is a simple, traditional tart for people who don’t like very sweet desserts.” Rather than make her Flakey Tart Dough, I used a ball of dough from the freezer, leftover from baking Martha Stewart’s Lemon Curd Tart. I rolled the dough out and pressed it into my buttered and floured ceramic tart dish, then chilled it in the freezer for half an hour. While the tart shell chilled and the oven preheated, I made the frangipane cream. In Tartine, Elisabeth Prueitt shares two recipes for frangipane cream. The first recipe requires making pastry cream and takes longer to prepare. I went with the quicker, easier, second variation which Elisabeth describes as a classic recipe with a more cakey filling. Sliced almonds are ground and then beaten with sugar and butter. A pinch of salt, a splash of brandy, two eggs and two tablespoons of milk are mixed in until the batter is light and fluffy.

The frangipane cream is spooned into the (chilled) unbaked tart shell. I quartered the apricots and arranged the fruit (cut side up) atop the frangipane cream, sliding the tart into the hot oven to bake for about an hour, until the crust turned golden brown and the filling set. According to Elisabeth, “the filling should feel firm and slightly springy to the touch and the fruit should be tender.” Using the second “cakey” variation of frangipane cream means that the fruit will sink while the tart bakes, so don’t fret when that happens. And remember, there’s nothing wrong with a dark crust.

It’s best to serve the tart at room temperature the day it is baked, but we found it held up nicely in the fridge for a couple of days.

Have you ever baked a frangipane tart? Share your experience in the comments section. Click Here.

10 Ways Tuesday: Apricot

By Jess On June 26, 2012 · 16 Comments

I’ve got creative recipes for cooking with apricots during summer:

1. Caramelized Apricots

A few seconds under the broiler results in luscious, juicy apricots- unbelievably good! Cut apricots in half and remove the pits, then place on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Sprinkle with sugar and ground cardamom, then place under the broiler for a couple of minutes, just until the tops are caramelized. Brush the cooked apricots with a jam glaze (heat apricot jam in a saucepan for a minute until liquified). Serve the warm and juicy apricots as a summer dessert with whipped cream or crème fraîche or enjoy the apricots for breakfast with Greek yogurt and toasted nuts.

2. Apricot Preserves

Rachel Saunders, author of The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, writes, “Nothing quite matches the buttery flavor of a really perfect fresh apricot, and apricots make some of the most delectable preserves.” She includes a recipe for Royal Blenheim Apricot Jam, which uses as little sugar as possible to allow the apricot’s extraordinarily sumptuous flavor to shine. The kernels are removed from a few of the apricot pits and tossed into the jam, infusing it with a hint of almond. She also shares recipes for Apricot-Rose Jam and Apricot-Orange Marmalade.

3. Apricot Tart

You’ve got a couple of choices when it comes to baking an apricot tart: bake the tart shell and fill it with pastry cream, topping it with fresh apricots; or bake the whole tart, which gives the apricots a whole different texture and flavor. Martha Stewart’s Everyday Apricot Tart is an example of the first option. The good thing about this tart is each component can be made separately and done a day before assembling, and the fresh fruit holds its shape beautifully, for a nice presentation. Later this week on la Domestique, I’ll be sharing a baked Apricot Frangipane Tart from the Tartine cookbook made by pouring an almond-cream filling into an unbaked tart shell, topping it with fresh apricots, and baking it until the filling sets. This baked tart is more filling with a greater depth of flavor, and holds up nicely in the fridge for three days. Next time you think of making a fruit tart, explore your options- there are so many interesting recipes out there.

4. Apricot Liqueur

If you’re into home infusions then apricot liqueur is one to try. A simple recipe for apricot liqueur can be found in Diana Henry’s book Plenty: Good, uncomplicated food for the sustainable kitchen. The method involves poaching apricots with sugar in white wine, removing it from the heat and adding amaretto and vodka. Allow the fruit to sit, submerged in the liquid for a week, then strain the liqueur into sterilized bottles. Leave the bottles sit a month before drinking. Serve the apricot liqueur chilled in a small glass as an after dinner drink, or mixed with sparkling wine for an apricot kir. The boozy apricots left over from the process are delicious spooned over vanilla bean ice cream.

5. Apricots in Salad

Fuzzy, juicy, musky-sweet apricots add interesting flavor and texture to summer salads. Toss raw apricot slices with purple lettuce, goat cheese, beets, and fresh mint dressed in balsamic vinegar. Try this salad of Grilled Apricot with Burrata, Country Ham, and Arugula. Other ingredients that go well in an apricot salad include hazelnuts, pistachios, mozzarella, basil, spinach, romaine lettuce, and berries.

6. Poached Apricots

Soft and juicy poached apricots chilled in syrupy nectar is one of summer’s finest pleasures. Martha Stewart’s Chilled Poached Apricots with Whipped Cream is an elegant, refreshing finish to an al fresco dinner. Floral white muscat wine is the base of the poaching liquid, and aromatic cardamom spice is sprinkled into the shipped cream. Experiment with different flavorings, like vanilla, ginger, lemon, or fennel. Poached apricots are also good served over pound cake, angel food cake, or crepes!

7. Summer Couscous with Chicken and Apricots

In his book, Ripe, Nigel Slater writes, “The apricot is one of the more successful additions to savory recipes. More versatile than the plum, the fig, or even the pear, its lack of sugar and faint back-note of acidity give a lot more scope for mixing with meat and game.” I wholeheartedly agree, and last year I shared this recipe for Summer Couscous with Chicken and Apricots on la Domestique, inspired by the Middle Eastern penchant for adding fresh apricot to tagines. Chicken thighs are stewed with cinnamon cap mushrooms, chickpeas, and aromatic Moroccan Tan Tan spice. Fresh apricots are tossed in at the end to warm through and release their juices into the flavorful broth. This dish is great for a crowd. Serve it family style over fluffy couscous on a large platter.

8. A Tagine of Lamb with Apricots

And now Nigel Slater’s recipe for A Tagine of Lamb with Apricots from his book, Ripe. He writes, “Of all the fruit and meat marriages, this is the one that appeals to me most.” That’s quite a statement! Based on a tagine he tasted in Morocco, this recipe involves tossing cubed lamb shoulder in a dry marinade of spices (cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, paprika), and leaving the flavors to infuse overnight. The lamb meat is then browned with onions and garlic and stewed in stock with raisins, honey, saffron, tomatoes, and apricots (apricots and tomatoes? Genius!). The stew is served with preserved lemon, mint, and cilantro. I know it’s hot out there this summer, but maybe the bold flavors and spices in this tagine will induce a cooling sweat while satisfying the appetite?

9. Nieve de Chabacano (Apricot Sorbet)

I’ve written of my love for Fany Gerson’s gorgeous cookbook before, the one full of meaningful stories collected on her journey through Mexico: My Sweet Mexico. In the book, this acclaimed pastry chef shares her favorite desserts and sweet baked goods from the region, and this time I’m inspired by her Nieve de Chabacano, which translates to Sorbet of Apricots. I love the words on sorbet, coming from a chef, “The fruit is always the main focus in sorbet, with no distractions.” She writes that tart and sweet apricots make an “extremely refreshing and silky nieve.” The recipe is simple: boil apricots for a few minutes, till tender, then puree with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon lemon juice and chill. Pour the chilled puree into the ice cream maker and you’re done. The beauty of apricot sorbet is in its luxurious texture and not too sweet, slightly tart flavor.

10. Apricot Clafoutis

I’ve got a thing for clafoutis, the ridiculously simple yet fantastic oven-baked pancake. All you’ve got to do is whisk together a batter and pour it over pieces of fruit, then pop it into the oven until puffy and golden. This sweet treat is best made with tart fruit- remember this Rhubarb Clafoutis? How about this Cherry Clafoutis? Well, now it’s time for apricot clafoutis. You don’t even need to peel the apricots! If you’re looking for a clafoutis recipe, this one from the cookbook, River Cottage Every Day is my favorite (just substitute apricots in for the rhubarb). Apricot Clafoutis is delicious for breakfast, afternoon tea, or dessert.

What is your favorite way to cook with apricots? Share it in the comments section. Click Here.

Ingredient of the Week: Apricot

By Jess On June 24, 2012 · 3 Comments

An apricot is not a peach. You won’t be overwhelmed by heady fragrance of an apricot from several feet away. You won’t find your face covered in sticky juice after taking a bite into an apricot’s velvety flesh. If peaches are the blockbuster movie of summer, apricots are the surprise hit indie film at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s quite possible you’ve never tasted a truly ripe apricot. This stone fruit must be allowed to ripen on the tree and quickly picked before it drops to the ground. Ripe apricots do not travel well. Their delicate, velvety flesh bruises easily and quickly begins to deteriorate once picked. The cold supermarket produce isle is an inhospitable place for such a fragile fruit. If you’re looking for sunset-colored apricots with tender, juicy flesh and honeyed, musky flavor, you’ve got to go to the farmer. Road-side stands and farmer’s markets are the place to find apricots worth eating (as opposed to those tasteless, juiceless specimens at the grocery store).

Tasting a truly ripe apricot is a surprise: the flavor begins with a buttery sweetness, transitioning to pleasant tartness, ending in a lingering hint of almond. It’s not wonder the pits are cracked open, kernels removed and used to make almond extract and liqueur. According to The Produce Bible, apricots originated in China and have been cultivated for over 4,000 years. While peaches have an all-american quality, apricots are exotic. They come into season before peaches, peaking from May through July. If you can pick an apricot and eat it straight off the tree, savor the moment, but otherwise a little heat from the oven, stove, or grill is essential to drawing out their best qualities. Apricots collapse into luscious heaps of succulent fruit when cooked, and combine well with aromatic spices like cardamom and vanilla. Tomorrow is 10 Ways Tuesday and I’ve got plenty of ideas for cooking with apricots.

Apricots are best simply prepared with complimentary flavors that enhance their sweet-tart flavor. When selecting apricots, look for plump, unblemished specimens which are mostly firm, with only a slight give in the palm of the hand. In The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, Rachel Saunders advises that the best way to select an apricot is not by aroma or appearance, but by taste. Store apricots at cool room temperature. Don’t stack them in a bowl, rather, place them on a baking sheet in a single layer to keep from bruising their delicate skins. Keep apricots out of the fridge, which dulls their flavor and negatively affects their texture. Don’t delay in enjoying this perishable fruit, apricots should be eaten within a day or two. Once cut the flesh will oxidize and turn brown, so prepare apricots just before cooking.

Don’t let the season pass you by without tasting a ripe apricot straight from the tree. This ancient fruit is worth getting to know before peaches come in and steal the show.

Do you enjoy apricots during summer? Share your stories in the comments section. Click Here.

Cook in the Moment: Summer Lettuce Wraps with Quinoa, Avocado, Mushrooms and Tahini Sauce

By Jess On June 20, 2012 · 10 Comments

Summer is here, and I am strangely pensive regarding her arrival this year. Maybe it’s because this is the summer I turn 30 years of age? Maybe it’s because I have a feeling this will be my last summer living in Colorado? Maybe it’s because I’m headed to the place where I was born to visit my family, who I only see once a year- if that. Most years I allow summer to pass me by without truly engaging in the season. I’m more of an autumn person, reveling in sweaters and fallen leaves. Somehow, this year is different. It seems I’m slowing down a bit, not pushing so hard. A lot of time in my 20′s has been devoted to running an exhausting race, seeking to please everyone around me and trying to measure up to a definition of success that I don’t really believe in. I’m looking forward to my 30th birthday. I don’t expect anything to change overnight, more like a gradual personal growth that’s been in the works for some time now.

This summer of 2012, I’m a little less innocent, a little more humble, a little less judgmental, a little more kind, a little less worried, a little more hopeful…

I’m hopeful that I will continue to become more comfortable in my own skin, to listen to my inner voice above the outside noise, and to go with the flow rather than forcing my way through this world.

Years from now, will I remember the summer I turned 30? Something deep inside me says I should make this one never to forget. Embrace her with all I’ve got. I’m gonna do it. No lists, just waking up every day with intent: to give my all to this world with a smile on my face and a heart full of love.

Summer Lettuce Wraps

In this recipe, a mixture of protein-rich quinoa, mint, and vegetables is bound together with a deeply flavored tahini sauce, then spooned into tender but sturdy leaves of butterhead lettuce. If you don’t like fiddling with folding lettuce leaves, you can serve them as cups, like I have in the photographs. These lettuce wraps make for a satisfying, nutritious lunch or an attractive appetizer.

makes about 14 wraps

serves 4 as a meal, or can be made as an appetizer for 8

Ingredients

For Lettuce Wraps

1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms caps, sliced into strips
4 scallions, chopped
1 red chile, chopped
6 breakfast radishes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped mint
2 avocados
juice of 1 lemon or lime
2 heads butterhead lettuce

For Tahini Sauce

1 lime
1/4 cup tahini
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup water

Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat and toss in the shiitake mushroom slices. Cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Season the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and a little freshly ground black pepper. In a large bowl, toss the cooked mushrooms, the fresh scallions, chile, radishes, and mint with the cooked quinoa. Zest 1 lime over the quinoa. Season the mixture to taste with a couple pinches of salt.

Make the tahini sauce by whisking together the juice of 1 lime, tahini, soy sauce, and honey. Add up to 1/4 cup water to thin the sauce out until it just drips from the whisk, kind of like the texture of ketchup. Stir the tahini sauce into the quinoa mixture to loosely bind it.

Make the lettuce wraps. Cut avocados in half and slice them into long strips. Brush the avocado slices with lime or lemon juice to prevent browning. To compose the lettuce wraps, place two slices of avocado in each piece of lettuce and top with a couple spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture. Serve the lettuce wraps open, as a little lettuce cup, or fold and pin them as a wrap with a toothpick. This dish tastes best at room temperature.

Note

It’s best to compose the wraps just before serving. The quinoa-tahini mixture can be made ahead of time, but it will thicken if kept in the fridge. Thin it out with a splash of soy sauce and then compose the lettuce wraps.

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