Wintertime Favorites

I started this blog during the fall, so my first few posts are disconnected with the seasons. One of my new years resolutions is to eat more seasonally, so my blogging should reflect that. Winter happens to be one of my favorite times of year. Something about the chilled air, delicate falling snowflakes, and the lure of hot beverages just gets to me. Snow is a deal breaker for me. If a place doesn’t have snow, I will not live there long term. Due to this ridiculous love of snow, I tend to stave off the winter blues until about the end of February when the taste of fresh peas, rain boots, and warm breezes call to me.

Let’s face it. Everyone looks good with some snowflakes on them, especially sassy black and white dogs.

George Santayana said it best, “To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.” So I love winter while it’s here and try to enjoy how beautiful and peaceful it is.  I try to enjoy it as much as possible, but what human could enjoy clearing this car?

This month I want to explore all things cozy and comforting, despite the calories. I will try to feature my favorite recipes, fashion pieces, and things that get me through the winter and try a few new ones out too!

 

Get ready for hot chocolate, mac and cheese, soups, scarf making, festive salads, and drinks to warm you up from the inside out!

Summer Squash Tart

One week this past summer I was overwhelmed with what to bring to the two back to back  potlucks that I wanted to attend.  I was drowning in summer squash and wanted to think of some way to use these plentiful farm plucked vegetables. Plus, I wanted to plan ahead, so that I could just bake it off, then take it to the potluck, which were both at lunchtime. I made the great decision this summer, in a fit of grad school stress, to purchase the cookbook, La Tartine Gourmande written by the fabulous Béatrice Peltre.

Easy enough to prepare ahead of time, this tart bakes off in 40 minutes and is a real hit at potlucks. It went so fast at the first potluck, that i barely got some crust. Light, creamy, and filled with summery goodness within each morsel that i shoveled into my face.

It wasn’t all delightful bites of tart and satisfied taste buds though. There was a causality in the creation of this beautiful work of tart. While zoning out whilst using the mandoline (I was watching a rather exciting episode of Vampire Diaries), I managed to slice the tip of my right middle finger clear off. Needless to say, gushing blood and dramatic screams ensued. I pulled myself together, slapped a band-aid on my wound and finished off a dish that I literally put my blood, sweat, and tears into (but i threw those parts away, no worries). To avoid this malady, I suggest holding off on watching your favorite show while slicing your veggies and using your mandoline.

Recipes

My Go-to Tart Crust

adapted from Mollie Katzen’s tart recipe in Enchanted broccoli forest

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

4 tablespoons of water, milk, or buttermilk (i used milk)

6 Tablespoons butter

Step 1: Use a pastry cutter or a food processor to blend butter and flours until the mixture is uniform and resembling coarse cornmeal

Step 2: Add the liquid (water, milk, or buttermilk) until the dough comes together

Step 3: Roll out immediately, or refrigerate (I chill the dough for 30 min-overnight depending on my time constraints)

This recipe once rolled out creates a lovely crust for a 9-10 inch tart or pie.

Summer Tart Recipe

adapated from Beatrice Peltre’s La Tartine Gourmande

1 tart crust

1 cup whole milk ricotta

1 tablespoon marjoram or oregano

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Zest of 1/2 of an organic lime

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus some extra for drizzling

salt and pepper to your taste

1 small green zucchini sliced thinly with mandoline or by hand

1 small yellow squash sliced thinly with mandoline or by hand

3 oz Swiss cheese sliced thinly

1 tablespoon honey

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Step 2: Add herbs (marjoram/oregano and parsley) and lime zest to the ricotta cheese. Stir in the olive oil and add salt and pepper.

Step 3: Spread ricotta mixture onto unbaked tart crust then arrange the zucchini and yellow squash  in concentric circles or any pretty design you desire

Step 4: Add the slices of swiss cheese in between the squash slices, evenly throughout the crust

Step 5: Drizzle with extra olive oil and honey

Step 6: Bake for 40 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly . Let rest for 5 minutes before you cut the tart

Step 7: Enjoy it.

*To maximize flavor, make in the height of summer squash season with your local farmer’s market or garden is overflowing with squash.