Sour Cherry Pie

For my dad's birthday.

Garlic Tart

I will happily admit that Erik made this one with very little of my help (I grated the cheese!), but I wanted to post it, terrible picture notwithstanding, because it was delicious! From Plenty, of course, and full of whole garlic cloves poached in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, two kinds of cheese, cream, and eggs. We had it with a green salad and devoured the whole thing easily. Next time I think we'd try using a short crust instead of puff pastry (actually, we used filo this time, but the recipe calls for puff), and making it in a deeper pie pan for an even more custardy effect.

Tarte Tatin with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream

I wanted to make something using my dad's current crop of extra tart apples, and as it happens, apple pie is a favorite of the dinner guest I was having over this week. Instead of an American apple pie, I decided to try my hand at the classic French version- tarte tatin. I've made banana tarte tatin, and tomato tarte tatin, but never the traditional apple. I followed Jamie Oliver's recipe, which was very simple, but I got impatient waiting for the liquid from the apples to reduce before adding the puff pastry, and it got a little soggy. When I reheated the tarte for this photo, it got a little close to the broiler, so my apologies for the unsightly burnt edge. Either way (soggy or burnt) it still tasted great, and the ice cream (for which I used David Lebovitz's recipe) was fabulous and the perfect tangy accompaniment to this sweet dessert.

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart, Reprise

We made this tart again. You have no idea how good it is!

Cherry Custard Tart with Anise

This came from the Moro Cookbook- the cherries (which I had frozen from last summer) are cooked in anise liqueur, and then you make a syrup with the juice to pour over the finished tart. Please note that due to the low lighting, this looks much more yellow and eggy than it really was!

Pluot Galette

Inspired by a tart I had at Chez Panisse last month, we served this with rosewater whipped cream, which really brought out the fragrance of the pluots. (Pictured below with our favorites from the River Cafe books: Chocolate Walnut Torte and Pear Almond Cake)

Peach Pie with a Thyme-Scented Crust

Hannah Banana Creme Pie

Finally, here is the recipe for my award winning Hannah Banana Creme Pie. You can see more pictures of the process here.

For the crust:
5 oz (half a bag) of chocolate cookies (I use Newman's Own Alphabet Cookies)
1 Tbs butter, melted
1/2 egg white

For the filling:
4 egg yolks
2 1/2 C milk
3/4 C sugar
3 Tbs cornstarch
Vanilla extract
1 Tbs butter
2 bananas

Whipped cream

Start by making your crust. In a food processor, grind the cookies into a fine powder. Remove about one tablespoon and set aside, leaving the rest of the crumbs in the food processor. Add the melted butter and egg white to the food processor to make a dough. Using your fingers, press the mixture into a pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and sugar in a bowl. Scald the milk in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add a quarter cup of the milk to your cornstarch and sugar mixture to make a slurry, and then add it back into the saucepan of milk. Return to the heat and stir constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat again and add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring constantly. Return to low heat, continuing to stir, for another minute or two. The mixture should be very thick. At this point, you can add a little vanilla to taste and the butter, stirring until it's incorporated completely into the custard.

Slice the bananas and arrange the slices in the bottom of your crust. Pour the warm custard over them and refrigerate until cold (or overnight). When you are ready to serve, top with freshly whipped cream and sprinkle with the reserved cookie crumbs.

Pizza with Onion Confit, Sweet Corn, Homemade Mozzarella and Arugula Salad

Erik and I took a mozzarella pulling class yesterday and have a bag full of cheese to use. We made this with Cheeseboard dough.

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart, Salad with Roasted Beets, Fava Beans and English Peas in a Mint Vinaigrette

Jenn came over tonight so Erik and I took it as an excuse to cook something we didn't want to eat all of by ourselves. The tart recipe comes from Bon Apetit, by way of Smitten Kitchen. It was insanely good. It's a good thing we had a guest, or I might have eaten the entire thing, and I don't even like cauliflower! (But let's face it: anything cooked with Gruyere, mascarpone and heavy cream is going to be good.) Erik threw together the salad with some leftover veggies we had in the fridge and lettuces from the garden. The mint vinaigrette was perfect with the peas, and the whole thing added a little brightness to our dinner.

Banana Tart Tatine

This recipe is from Jamie Oliver (with a few changes by me), and is delicious! I served it with dulce de leche ice cream.

2 oz butter
3/4 C sugar
4 large bananas
Ground cinnamon
Zest of one tangerine, or half an orange
1/2 lb puff pastry


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy skillet, melt the butter and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Cook over low heat until golden and caramelized (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, peel the bananas and slice them about an inch thick. Lay them carefully on top of the caramel (watch out- the caramel is very hot). Remove from heat and sprinkle some cinnamon and the orange zest on top. Lay the puff pastry over the top of the skillet, and carefully tuck it around the inside to make sure there are no gaps. Using a knife or fork, poke a few holes to vent the tart. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is puffy and golden.

When the tart comes out of the oven, place a serving plate on top and carefully (wear oven mitts!) turn it over. You want to do this right away or the caramel will harden and make it much harder to remove the tart from the pan. If the pastry's not quite cooked on the bottom, stick it back in the oven for another few minutes. Otherwise, serve!

Apple Pie

I can't believe I've never posted apple pie before! To be honest it is not one of my favorite pies (just as vanilla is not one of my favorite ice creams), but everyone else loves it, and I've certainly made my share of apple pies.


6-8 apples (or more if you are using small, home-grown ones)
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg (I recommend grating your own- you only need a tiny bit, as it is very strong)
Ground ginger (or you can grind fresh ginger- yum!)
Ground cardamom
2 Tbs corn starch
Juice of one lemon
1 stick of butter, diced into small cubes
Two pie crusts

Peel and chop the apples how you like (I usually do pretty big chunks) and toss with the lemon juice to stop them from discoloring. Add the spices (to taste), corn starch, and butter and put aside. Roll out your crusts. Fit one into the bottom of your pie pan, and fill it with the apple mixture. I like my filling to mound up a bit, but use your judgement on how much will fit. The traditional way to do the top crust is to simply lay it over the top and pierce it with a fork or knife in the center to vent the steam, crimping the edges. This pie definitely needs to be mostly covered because the apples will dry out otherwise, but you can have fun with it! You could do a lattice, or use cookie cutters to make shapes like the stars I did here. I also brushed my crust with some egg wash and sprinkled a little sugar on top, just to make it extra pretty.

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, and then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for another 45-50 minutes until the apples are soft and the crust is golden brown.

Lemon Mascarpone Tart

I had a slice of this tart at River Cafe last month and have been dreaming about it ever since. I found the recipe and made it for some friends the other night- served with a dollop of creme fraiche (or sour cream) it was every bit as delicious as I remembered, but I would recommend adding even more lemon zest if you can to make it extra lemony.

For the sweet pastry

Unsalted butter 8 oz
Egg yolks, organic 3
Plain flour 1 1/2 C
Salt 1/2 tsp
Icing sugar 1/2 C

For the filling

Lemons 6
Eggs, organic 6
Egg yolks, organic 6
Caster sugar 1 1/2 C
Mascarpone 1 1/3 C
Icing sugar 2 tbsp


For the pastry, cut the cold butter into small pieces. Separate the eggs. In a food processor, pulse-chop the flour, salt and butter to the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and egg yolks, and pulse into a soft ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 300F. Coarsely grate the pastry into a loose-bottomed, fluted 10" tin, then press it down evenly to cover the sides and base. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 20 minutes. Cool.

Reduce the oven to 275F. For the filling, grate the lemon zest, squeeze the juice, and mix together. Beat the whole eggs and extra yolks with the sugar. Add the mascarpone, stir to combine, then stir in the lemon mixture.

Pour into the tart shell and bake for an hour. Leave to cool, then sprinkle over the icing sugar. Serve with sour cream.

Arugula Tart

This recipe came from "The Produce Bible" and originally called for ricotta, but I thought goat cheese would be a good substitute. The consistency is very quiche-like, and I think that next time I would up the cheese to egg ratio.


1/2 C goat cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs
2-3 C arugula
1/2 small onion, finely diced
Olive oil
Nutmeg, salt and pepper
Puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a greased tart pan with the puff pastry. Prick the pastry with a fork, cover with parchment, and fill with baking weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights and parchment, and then bake for another 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and sautee the onions until soft. Stir in the arugula until just wilted. Meanwhile, combine the egg and cheese, and season with a little nutmeg, salt and pepper. Leave some lumps of cheese in the mixture. Add the arugula and combine. Pour into the pastry crust and bake for about 25 minutes, or until set.

Martha's Cranberry Meringue Pie

This recipe from Martha Stewart was a huge hit last year, and as far as I'm concerned it will always be a staple of my Thanksgiving meal. A little lighter than pumpkin or pecan pie, it's a refreshing treat after a heavy dinner.


3 3/4 C fresh cranberries (or frozen ones)
1 3/4 C sugar
3 tsp finely chopped orange zest, plus 1/2 C orange juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
4 Tbs cornstarch
4 large egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 recipe pie dough


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough slightly. Sprinkle the dough with 1 tsp of orange zest, and fold over. Proceed to roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Fit into your pie plate, pierce the bottom with a fork, and freeze for 15 minutes.

Line the shell with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans . Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment, return to oven, and bake until just golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Allow to cool on a rack while making the filling.

Bring 2 1/2 cups of cranberries, 1 1/4 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst, about 5 minutes. Pour through a sieve and discard the solids. You should have about 1 3/4 C of liquid- if you have less, add water.

Bring the strained cranberry juice, 1/4 cup of sugar, the remaining orange zest, spices, and remaining cranberries to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, and simmer until cranberries are soft, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir the cornstarch, orange juice, and 1/4 C water in a bowl; whisk into the cranberry mixture. Return to a boil, stirring constantly until translucent, about 1 minute. Pour into the pie crust, and refrigerate until set (at least an hour, or up to overnight).

Preheat the broiler. Put the egg whites and remaining 1/4 C sugar into the metal bowl of an electric mixer set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch. Attach the bowl to the mixer and beat until foamy on medium speed. Raise the speed to high and add the cream of tartar. Beat until glossy peaks form, and spoon over the pie.

Set the pie under the broiler until the top is browned, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn!

Pumpkin Pie from Scratch

I'm not knocking canned pumpkin, and goodness knows I've used it many times before with excellent results, but in my book nothing can beat pie made from fresh pumpkin. If you can't get fresh pumpkin, or don't have time, canned will work just fine. This is James Beard's recipe.


1 medium Sugar Pie pumpkin (should yield 2 cups of flesh), or Butternut squash
3 eggs
1 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Ginger (I like to use fresh ginger, but powdered is fine)
Cinnamon
Cardamon
Ground Cloves
Nutmeg
1 to 1 1/2 C half and half, or evaporated milk
1/2 recipe pie crust (click for recipe)

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and pulp. Place in a baking dish with enough water to cover halfway, and cover with foil. Roast in a 375 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes, or until the flesh is tender. Once cooled, scoop out the pumpkin flesh from the halves into a mixing bowl. Run a fork through it, or use a potato masher, to break up the pumpkin.*

Add the spices, sugar, cream and eggs, and whisk well. Pour the mixture into your pie crust, and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 and bake for about 30 more minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*If you want to make a little extra to save for another pie, you can use this technique and freeze the pumpkin flesh for later use.

Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tartlets

I love almost anything made with goat cheese, and these little bite sized tarts are perfect for entertaining.


3 eggs
12 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
1 large sweet onion, sliced very thin
2 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs olive oil
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 C cold butter
Ice water

In a medium frying pan, heat the oil and add the onions. Sautee over low heat, stirring frequently until caramelized, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butter into the flour and salt with a pastry cutter or food processor, until the mixture is coarse, like breadcrumbs. Add just enough ice water so that the dough comes together. On a floured board, press down on the dough to flatten slightly (do not knead!), and sprinkle with half the thyme. Fold over twice and roll out into a large rectangle. Using a biscuit cutter or glass, cut into 24 3-inch rounds, and press gently into a mini cupcake pan. Pierce the bottoms of the shells with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes.

Whisk together the goat cheese, eggs, and the remaining thyme until creamy. Stir in the onions into the mixutre, and spoon into the tart shells. Bake for another 30 minutes, and serve warm. Makes 24 tartlets.

Tomato Tarte Tatine

This recipe is adapted from "The Produce Bible," by Deborah Madison, a recent acquisition that is chock full of amazing recipes and interesting facts about all kinds of produce. Mine came out a little soggy, but I used Early Girl tomatoes, which are more watery than plum tomatoes (aka Romas). Regardless, the combination of the caramelized flavors of the tomatoes, onions, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar with the tangy goat cheese and buttery pastry was delicious!


12 plum tomatoes
4 Tbs olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced very thin
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 handful fresh thyme
1 C crumbled goat cheese
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half, lengthwise, and season with salt and pepper. Place them, cut side up, on a wire rack in a baking dish. Roast in the oven for 3 hours.


Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, and add the onions. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramelized (about 45 minutes). Meanwhile, in an 8 inch oven-proof frying pan, heat the remaning olive oil. Add the garlic, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and one tablespoon of water, and cook until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat.

When the tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in one layer in the pan with the vinegar mixture. Top with the onions, thyme, and crumbled goat cheese. Cover with the puff pastry, trim the edges, and tuck the pastry into the side of the pan around the tomatoes. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the pan, and invert onto a plate. Cool to room temperature and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

This pot pie is not really made in a pot, but I love the idea of having your whole meal in one dish. You have your veggies, your chicken, and your starch in each bite! And you can make pot pie with basic ingredients that you probably have on hand. Today I had the chicken, peas, and onions in the freezer, the broccoli and herbs in the refrigerator, and the potatoes, butter, flour, and broth in the pantry, so the only thing I had to shop for was carrots! I am not a mushroom lover, but it would be very easy to add them, or just about any other vegetable. I would not recommend anything with an overwhelming flavor, though, such as brussel sprouts or bell peppers, or anything too watery, like tomatoes. But it's a perfect recipe for those wintery root vegetables, and I can't think of a more comforting dinner on a cold day.

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 C peas
1 C chopped carrots
1 C pearl onions
1 C broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 C potatoes, diced
2 Tbs rosemary, chopped fine
1 tsp thyme
2 C butter (keep 1 1/2 C very cold)
3 C flour
Salt and pepper
2-3 C chicken broth

Start by chopping your potatoes and steam them until just cooked and drain. Meanwhile, cut the carrots and broccoli. Dredge the chicken pieces in a little flour, and brown them with a little oil or butter in a medium-sized pot. Remove the chicken and add 1/2 C more butter to the pot. Once the butter is melted, add a cup of flour and stir to make a roux. Gradually add broth until a thick sauce forms. Season with half the rosemary, the thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken and vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Cut the remaining 1 1/2 C butter into two cups of flour until the mixture is coarse, like breadcrumbs. Add just enough ice water so that the dough comes together. On a floured board, divide the dough into two sections. Press down on one section to flatten slightly, and sprinkle with the half the remaining rosemary. Fold over and roll out to fit your pie pan. Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into the crust. Repeat above to make a second crust, and lay over the top of the pie. Crimp the edges with your fingers, and use a fork to vent the top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

* You could also make four small pies, instead of a large one!

Blueberry Pie

This pie helped me win a bake-off once. This crust recipe is from Martha Stewart and is sweeter than a standard pie crust, but I think it works really well with the blueberries.

Filling:
6 C fresh or frozen blueberries
2 C sugar
3 Tbs corn starch
1 Tbs lemon juice
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Crust:
2 1/2 C flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 C cold, unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks
4 Tbs ice water

In a food processor, mix the flour and sugar. Add the butter and process until coarse, approximately 10 seconds. Add the egg yolks one at a time through the feed tube, while the machine is running and add enough ice water that the dough just holds together. Turn dough out onto two pieces of plastic wrap and press into flat circles. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Meanwhile, toss the berries with the rest of the filling ingredients. Take one of the pie crusts out of the refrigerator and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness. Line a deep dish pie pan with it and fill with the berry mixture. Roll out the second crust and cut into 1" strips. Weave a lattice over the top of the pie, tucking the ends of the strips under the bottom crust. Pinch the edges of the crusts together.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.