HERALDING THE BEGINNING OF SPRING CROPS!!!!!

 

Our first crops are ready to harvest!  Last night I made my first asparagus and chive meal of the season.  They compliment each other beautifully and so we had to choose between chive and asparagus omelet or pasta with chives and asparagus.  Both are simple to prepare and because I also had some mushrooms on hand I chose the pasta dish and threw in some mushrooms.  I checked what pasta we had on hand.  Fresh pasta is the best, but since we didn’t have any in the fridge, I used the campanelle instead.  I quickly cooked the freshly picked and cut up asparagus in some olive oil and butter:  frying them, and then adding some water to steam them for a few minutes.  I put the cooked asparagus aside to cook up the mushrooms.  (I’m hoping to make the same dish next week with morels but haven’t found any yet).  While the pasta cooked, I added the mushrooms and asparagus together in the frying pan with some cream and salt and pepper, cooked it up quickly and then added the cooked pasta.  Add the chopped chives, toss it all with loads of parmesan, asiago or romano cheese and you’ve got the first meal cooked with fresh spring crops.  I can’t wait for the beginning of June when Full Plate Farm Collective will start offering their CSA shares!!!

 

Alsatian Tart, Ravine’s Wine Cellars

(From Keuka Lake Food and Wine Tour Event:  REVIEWED BELOW)

 

 

 

  

 

                          Alsatian Tart, Ravine’s Wine Cellars

 

 

 

The pastry is a lazy girl’s version of Julia Child’s butter pastry recipe
 Crust:

1 and ¾ sticks unsalted butter, diced and frozen
2 cups flour
1 t salt
½ cup ice water (more if needed)

Mix flour & salt in a food processor, add frozen butter and pulse 3 times.  Add ice water and turn on processor for approx. 7 seconds or when dough comes together as a clump on the blade.  Remove and separate into 2 flat balls, working quickly so butter stays cold.  Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.

Work quickly when rolling out the pastry so the butter stays cold and then put it back into the fridge until you are ready to fill it.

Filling:

3 cups chopped sweet onion
½ pound bacon, diced* see note
2 eggs
½ cup cream
½ cup Swiss or gruyere cheese* see note
3 sprigs fresh thyme ( leaves only)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion until brown and sweet, season with s & p. and sauté bacon until crisp.  Let both cool and then sprinkle at the bottom of a tart pan.  Add grated cheese & thyme. Lastly, spoon on mixture of egg & cream seasoned with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.  Put into the oven immediately so the pastry stays cold until it hits the hot oven.  Bake at 450 degrees for appx. 20 mins.  It pairs nicely with Ravines Dry Riesling.  Lisa Hallgren, Ravines Wine CellarsCelia’s notes:

• I used 6 slices of apple smoked bacon which I first cooked in strips, drained on a paper towel, and then cut into pieces. 
• I used a fondue mix of gruyere and ementhaller which was already shredded.
• I used a 9 inch removable rim tart pan and added ¼ cup of 1/ & ½ and some extra cheese to adequately fill the tart. You will have extra dough.
• To make sure the bottom crust is cooked, place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven.
• This tart is good, reheated the next day also. 

 

 

CHECK OUT THE WORLD TOUR OF FOOD AND WINE EVENT A

ON THE KEUKA WINE TRAIL 

Keuka Lake wineries are hosting a special “World Tour of Food and Wine” event for two weekends.  Last weekend we enjoyed the first round of this event and it was a great success.  If you missed it, you can still enjoy the same tour on the weekend of April 19^th and 20^th.  Nine wineries participate in this event and many have exceptional views of Keuka Lake which is probably the most picturesque of the winery lakes. 

 

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