Nectar

So... remember that post about the morning drink - the one that was supposed to keep me from eating my cream cheese with a little bagel? I really can control myself until it comes to cream cheese AND smoked salmon. Then there is just no hope. And Adie has been begging for me to make my salmon spread... let's just say there's been a resurgence of bagel consuming as of late. She's also told me to share the recipe on Nectar - I'm not sure why I hadn't considered it in the past - but it's a favorite around here. The addition of mayo (which you can of course omit if you're one of those "i-can't-stand-the-stuff" weirdos *cough* I mean, people) gives the spread an almost mousse like consistency that we love. I like to keep the recipe basic and honor the idea of a typical bagel & lox combo.

SALMON SPREAD

8 oz. of wild caught smoked salmon

2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese

1/3 c. mayo

1/2 of a medium red onion (chopped)

sea salt

coarse ground black pepper

Combine the cream cheese and mayo in the food processor until thoroughly combined. Add the chopped onion and process until the onion has sort of disappeared into the cheese and left a lovely pink hue behind. Add the salmon and process again to your desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. It's best to add salt last as the salmon tends to salt the spread nicely on it's own. Store in an air-tight refrigerator for up to a week. My mom loves to spread it thick on a bagel half and top it with sliced tomatoes and capers.

Some notes...

- I apologize for the lack of music as of late - I quit Facebook (SO liberating!) but did not realize until after the fact that you can not use Spotify without a Facebook account. So I don't think even the older playlists will play. Not sure what to do about this - working on it! Hoping to find an alternative service and when I find the time, I will rebuild the playlists there. I will keep you posted.

- I was recently interviewed by the wonderful site MomFilter - you can read that here.

- And our book trailer for Instant Love is out! Ryan did a wonderful job putting it together and BIG thanks to Rabbit! for the perfect song (buy it here!). Head over to Ryan's blog today for a chance to not only win a copy of our book, but a fully refurbished Polaroid Land Camera from LandCameras.com. Cory restored my 180 and it's absolutely gorgeous - and was delivered with a "re-birth certificate" - an amazing little touch. Good luck!

The markets and roadsides are spilling with strawberries right now and one of our (and likely yours as well!) favorite things to do every Spring is indulge in a classic Strawberry Shortcake. And I don't use the word "indulge" lightly here. Using Bubby's take on the James Beard Cream Biscuit recipe (by adding a cup of sour cream) and of course dipping the whole damn thing into melted butter before baking... makes it rather indulgent indeed. The result is pretty much the perfect biscuit - buttery and slightly crunchy on the outside and soft and almost savory on the inside.

 

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

2 pints of organic strawberries (sliced - stems discarded)

2 T. organic sugar

Toss the sliced strawberries with the sugar and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.

 

Bubby's Variation on Mr. Beard's Cream Biscuits

5 c. flour

1 t. kosher salt

2 1/2 T. baking powder

1/3 c. sugar

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. sour cream

12 T. melted butter (the recipe calls for unsalted, but I love the extra salt in the salted variety)

Preheat the oven to 425 F and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix together well. In another bowl, mix the heavy cream and sour cream - add this to your dry ingredients. I found working with my hands was best here - begin to mix the dough until you can form a ball of dough (though be careful not to overwork the dough).

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so it's about 1/2" thick. Using a biscuit cutter (I don't have one so I used a glass cup) create 2" rounds and dunk them into your prepared melted butter. Set on the baking sheet. Continue until you've used up all of the dough.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown. Rotate the pans once so that they brown evenly. Cool completely on a cooling rack before assembling.

 

To Assemble:

Make the whipped cream by whipping 1 c. of heavy whipping cream with 1 t. vanilla and 2 T. powdered sugar until soft peaks emerge.

Slice a biscuit open and place the bottom half on a plate. Add whipped cream, then a layer of strawberries. Put a layer of whipped cream on the inside of the top half, then place that half of the biscuit on top of your shortcake. Top that with whipped cream and more strawberries.

(Note: My biscuits did not rise as much as I expected they would and I'm nearly 100% certain it's because I added too much flour to my work surface when kneading the dough - so instead of slicing the biscuits in half, I used two whole biscuits - a happy accident!)

I've really been trying to mix up my breakfast as of late. I got into the habit of eating a bagel with more cream cheese than bagel represented on my morning plate and thought it was time to lighten it up. Most mornings for us begin at home and I'm able to linger over my 3-4 cups of coffee - but some mornings are a little hectic and this pick me up does the trick - it both fills my belly and fuels my body. I keep bananas sliced in serving sizes in the freezer ready to go...

PICK ME UP

2 bananas (sliced and frozen)

1/2 c. almonds (sliced and roasted)

1 t. salt

1 T. honey

1/2 c. brewed espresso (chilled)

1/4 c. half+half

5-6 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until completely smooth - you may need to stop, stir and start it again as those frozen banana slices can be stubborn little things. Pour into a tall chilled glass and enjoy! Do you have a favorite morning pick me up?

And a few notes…

- My new title Gem and Stone is now available for pre-order - lots more exciting news about that title coming soon.

- I’m thrilled to start contributing to Design*Sponge on a regular basis. Ashley’s column has always been one of my favorites and I’m so happy to be working with her on it now. Our first post together is up today right here!

- So my birthday was last week. I was pretty lucky to have Ashley and friends throw me a ridiculously amazing Southern potluck – you can see the menu here – I felt more than a little spoiled by it all and so blessed by new friendships.

- And a little someone is turning six today so you might see a triple chocolate cake on the blog next week – if all goes as planned!

Have a beautiful weekend…

 

Two of my favorite people in New York are Carrie and Andrew Purcell. Not only are they both fiercely talented (Carrie is a food stylist who's work you've seen all over the place including Bon Appetit, In Style, Sweet Paul, Rachel Ray and Fine Cooking; and Andrew's beautiful photographs can be found regularly within the pages of Martha Stewart and Everyday Food among others) but some of the sweetest people I have the privilege of calling friends. And I happen to believe they work their most exquisite magic together... like on their lovely blog Pictures & Pancakes. Please welcome Carrie and Andrew...

Carrie & Andrew say:

"We wanted to come up with bright fresh flavors that you could throw together quickly to entertain friends - now that it's staying lighter later, it's nice to gather for early evening cocktails and a nibble. We've had an urban family Easter tradition for the past 7 years or so and made delicious chilled pea and mint soup shooters one year. This is kind of a take on that but in crostini form. Fresh green herbs and veggies really signify Spring and renewal to us. After years of not truly experiencing Spring (everything blooms year round in AZ and CA!) we now really appreciate the change of season - the feeling of excitement when tiny green buds and shoots begin to appear and the city has a revived energy outdoors on each beautiful, sunny Spring day. We thought the mint in the cocktail complimented the mint in the crostini, while the bite from bourbon cuts through the sweetness of the peas. Early evening cocktails during the week or an afternoon treat on a lazy Spring weekend… enjoy!"

 

PEA & FETA CROSTINI (makes 10)

This is great with peas any time of the year and the vibrant color screams Spring. It's also great with fava beans and pecorino cheese! Use your best olive oil and preferably one that's nice and peppery.

1 1/2 c. peas (frozen defrosted or fresh, cooked and drained)

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 c. olive oil (plus more for garnish)

1 small multi-grain baguette (sliced 1/4" thin and broiled until crispy)

1/2 c. feta

black pepper

1 bunch mint

Combine peas, lemon juice and salt in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, slowly add olive oil and puree until almost smooth. Spread about 1 T. on each crostini and garnish with crumbled feta, a crack of pepper, a few torn leaves of mint and a nice drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately or make a day ahead and refrigerate pea puree - bring to room temperature before serving.

 

46 & MINT (makes 1)

5 thin slices of cucumber

10 mint leaves (plus more for garnish)

1/2 T. agave syrup

1.5 oz. Maker's Mark 46 Bourbon

1/2 oz. St. Germain

2 oz. soda water

In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber, mint and agave. Add ice, bourbon and St. Germain and shake well. Strain over ice in a low ball glass and top with soda water. Garnish with a sliced cucumber and mint.

And Andrew's perfect playlist for a casual Spring gathering over cocktails...

SPRING MIX

Mrs. Cold : Kings of Convenience

True Love Will Find You In The End : Daniel Johnston

Simple Song : The Shins

Gravity Rides Everything : Modest Mouse

On My Way Back Home : Band of Horses

Run : Ben Kweller

As I'm Leaving : David Gray

Back Down South : Kings of Leon

Bowl of Oranges : Bright Eyes

I am Trying To Break Your Heart : Wilco

California : Rouge Wave

I'll Try Anything Once : Julian Casablancas

Shadow People : Dr. Dog

Sylvia Plath : Ryan Adams

How Come You Never Go There : Feist

I Buried A Bone : Blind Pilot

Soul One : Blind Melon

Overdue : The Get Up Kids

Stray Age : Daniel Martin Moore

The Wilhelm Scream : James Blake

Keep Me Awake : Tarkio

I'll Be Yr Bird : M. Ward

Kids On The Run : The Tallest Man on Earth

Listen here.

(Recipe by Carrie Purcell and photography by Andrew Purcell)

Hello - I hope you're still with me. I disappear sometimes. It's simply the reality of freelancing, homeschooling three young daughters (who will be going back to school in the Fall because Mama has had to sadly admit that I'm not the superwoman I thought I was, and I'm okay with that), and snuggling little ones who are absolutely knackered from perpetual allergy attacks. And I really haven't been cooking or baking too much over the last two weeks. Do you get like that? It ebbs and flows - I know the desire will return - but those rare moments when cooking is the last thing I want to do always scare the hell out of me. So let's ease back into it, shall we?

Last time I was in New York, my friend Marissa and I had brunch at Whitehall in the West Village; and there a dish was served that has graced my breakfast table often since. It's simple, and wildly delicious. Simply spread half of a ripe avocado onto a piece of toast, top with spring greens, a fried egg and your favorite artisan sea salt and pepper. This savory delight has also been a great way to get my girls to eat their greens!

 

Coming this week... another special Be My Guest from my some of my favorite New Yorkers and another simple breakfast... my favorite smoothie.

Have a lovely evening.

Remember how I said I'd never tried a Brussel sprout before? Well, I have another one for you. I've never tried rhubarb. I like to blame it on growing up in the Heartland - don't recall seeing it on a lot of the diner menus all that much. And as transplants to the South, I find it my unofficial duty to expose my girls to as much of the regions culinary charms as possible - or as palatable. And as we try to explore more seasonal cooking and baking (never mind our little blue and blackberry detour earlier this week) - I've noticed the rhubarb starting to show off it's rose-hued legs at the market.

This post will also set off a new series on Nectar featuring recipes from Bubby's (started informally here.) I'm currently doing some photography and art direction for the restaurant and we thought this would be a fun way to sort of bring Bubby's home. Ron Silver, the owner and founder of the New York institution is quoted in his Bubby's Homemade Pies, "We have no secret recipes (except for one: our barbecue sauce), and I have always made it clear to our customers that I would rather they eat great food at home, and if they want our recipes I am happy to share them." I mean seriously. Does it get anymore refreshing that that? So every couple of weeks, I will be cooking and baking from both of Bubby's current books as well as recipes from the restaurant itself. I hope that it not only encourages you to seek out this NYC icon next time you're in town, but more importantly, encourage you to seek out seasonal ingredients and get flour in your hair in your own kitchen!

 

RHUBARB CRISP

(for the topping)

1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar (I only had dark on hand and loved the result)

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used sliced and toasted almonds)

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground cloves

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

12 T. unsalted butter (melted)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

(the filling)

3 lbs. of rhubarb (sliced in 1/2 inch pieces - about 6 cups)

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 lemon (juiced)

1 T. lemon zest

2 T. unsalted butter (melted)

pinch of salt

 

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Add all of the dry topping ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Add the melted butter and coat everything completely. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the filling...

Toss all of the filling ingredients together and mix well so that everything is evenly coated. Pour into an 8 or 9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Top with the crisp topping so that it covers all of the fruit.

Place your prepared dish on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top just begins to turn brown. Turn the heat down to 350F and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the juice is bubbling and the top is crispy and brown.

Let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting. You can keep the crisp at room temperature for a few days - crisp the top again by placing servings in the oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

 

ROSIE {for my Rosie (above) who's fallen in love with rhubarb}

Roses : Blouse

I Wanna Be Adored : The Stone Roses

Big Red Rose : Golden Animals

Stolen Roses : Karen Elson

Dog Roses : The Duke Spirit

The Last Living Rose : PJ Harvey

Red Red Rose : The Weepies

Blood and Roses : The Smithereens

Hustle Rose : Metric

Razzle Dazzle Rose : Camera Obscura

Winter Rose : A Band of Bees

Listen here.

One of the best things about our move down South was the waiting arms of Ashley English. Ashley and I had known each other for some time online, but upon our arrival to Asheville last summer, she immediately took us into her flock and made us feel at home in this quirky little town. She has introduced me to some of my favorite people in my life and has been a wonderful friend. And she inspires me endlessly - whether we decide to delve into the world of keeping chickens and bees or not (and her new book about pies looks beyond amazing), she is our resident expert who I can turn to for all sorts of homesteading questions. We were lucky to work together recently on a shoot for the new issue of Kinfolk. Ashley and her husband Glen put together a delicious breakfast after gathering eggs with their son Huxley, and I had the honor of photographing their morning together. Here we are sharing some of the outtakes of the shoot, the recipe and a playlist Ashley created. For more images and Ashley's story, be sure to either download the latest issue here or buy it in print here (or both!). 

 

 

Ashley says: "We're huge frittata makers, chez English. Whatever is in season, either picked straight out of the garden or gathered from local farmer's markets, gets chopped, diced, minced or otherwise broken down and added to eggs from our flock, a bit of milk, and, typically, some cheese. This particular frittata is special as it's sort of a nod to the fortitude and perseverance of things growing and living out here. We planted the collards this past September, in our autumn garden, and, given the mild winter, they've continued to grow and thrive ever since. The eggs are from our flock of laying hens and pullets, with blue eggs we've just been able to begin gathering from the newest flock members, Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas. I love harvesting the collards and eggs with our young son, Huxley, and then cooking them together, as a family. He's privy to the entire process, and gobbles up the results with gusto!"

BACON, COLLARD & PARMESAN FRITTATA

Serves 4-6
 
- 3 pieces thick cut smokey bacon

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1 bunch collards (ribs removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces)

- 1 c. chicken, vegetable, or ham stock

- 6 eggs

- 1/4 c. milk

- Pinch of salt

- Several drops of hot sauce (optional)

- 1 T. butter

- Several grinds black pepper

- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan 
 
Cook the bacon in an ovenproof pan over medium heat until it starts to get a little crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, and set aside to cool on top of a plate covered with a paper towel. Drain off about half of the bacon fat from the pan and reserve for a later use. 

Add the onion to the pan containing the bacon drippings and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the collards, stirring to coat them fully with the bacon fat. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the stock and cook down for about 25 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the collards from the pan, and set aside in a bowl. Turn the burner heat down to low.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and hot sauce together in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in the same pan used to cook the bacon and collards. Coat the bottom of the pan with the butter, then add the egg mixture. Add the collards evenly across the eggs. Turn your oven to the "broil" setting (we used the "Hi" setting). Crumble or cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and distribute evenly over the pan and sprinkle the Parmesan evenly on top. Add a few grinds of black pepper.

After the eggs have been cooking for about 4 minutes, remove from the burner and place under the hot broiler for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool for 2 minutes. Invert the frittata onto a platter, then invert that onto another platter, so that it is right-side-up again. Use a pizza cutter to neatly cut into 6-8 wedges. Serve and enjoy.

 

CHICKEN & EGG

Family Affair : Sly & The Family Stone

Upward Over The Mountain : Iron and Wine

Viva La Vida : Coldplay

Over The Rainbow : Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

Little Bit : Lykke Li

I Feel It All : Feist

The Scientist : Willie Nelson

Home : Edward Sharpe

Beauty In The World : Macy Gray

Oh Bring Back the Egg Unbroken : Rasputina

Mother And Child Reunion : Paul Simon

Light & Day : The Polyphonic Spree

Do You Realize? : The Flaming Lips

Listen here.

Spring in Asheville is wildly gorgeous. The cool mountain air coupled with copious amounts of sunshine reminds me so much of southern California - I love it. We moved here during the summer last year and missed all the blooming trees and gentle cleansing rains - it just makes your heart swell. We've been spending as much time as possible outside and the girls are sort of drunk on the sweet air.

Though berries are traditionally a summer treat, I couldn't help picking some up in the market. They make these little tarts so easy to put together and are the perfect treat for an impromptu spring picnic...

 

 

BLACK AND BLUE TARTS

- 1 pie crust (recipe and instructions here)

- 1 1/2 c. blackberries

- 1 1/2 c. blueberries

- 1/2 c. sugar

- 1/4 c. flour

- 1 t. cinnamon

- 4 T. butter

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare four small pie or tart dishes.

Roll out the pie dough and carefully cut out four equally sized circles of dough. It is easiest to turn one of your tart dishes upside down on the dough and trace a circle around it about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (depending on the depth of your tart dish) larger than the dish. Fit your dough into each dish and poke a few holes on the bottom of each with a fork. Place in the oven for 5 minutes, then pull out and cool.

In a large bowl, combine your berries, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Fill each tart dish equally with the berry mixture. Cut the butter into small cubes and dot the pieces evenly over the top of the four tarts.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the filling begins to bubble. Let cool and then turn out onto plates to serve.

 

BLACK & BLUE

Ghost : Blue Foundation

It's Your Touch : The Black Ghosts

The Letter : The Black Heart Procession

The Best Way To Travel : The Moody Blues

Wild Wind : Black Mountain

Have Love Will Travel : The Black Keys

Put My Name In The Sand : The Blue Van

Snake In The Grass : The Black Angels

Electric Funeral : Black Sabbath

Long Way Down : Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Astronomy : Blue Oyster Cult

Listen here.

I never know when it hits, but when it does - it's like a brick. Growing up my brother and I would spend two months every summer with my father who, at the time, lived in San Diego. After retiring from the Navy, he fulfilled his dream of opening a bakery - in fact, I learned most of my scratch baking from him. But before the bakery, my grandmother Helen, his mother, would watch us during those warm, salty summer days. My grandmother, who passed away when I was living in Italy, baked and cooked constantly. Otherwise she was watching Perry Mason or Wheel of Fortune, or reading a book while sipping on a Gin and Tonic.

She was a force. A tiny little Irish pixie full of moxie. My dad once told me that when she was 19 she was dying of scarlet fever and received her last rites. Before falling ill she had a head full of glorious black tresses. After recovering from the fever, her hair grew back red and curly. It was one of my favorite stories - I always imagined that the fever scorched not only her body, but her soul and she rose again as a fiery spirit you just didn't mess with. And I miss her terribly. When I miss her, I bake something that reminds me of the meals she created those summers. One of my favorites was her corned beef bake - or baked Rueben - I don't think she ever actually named it. She did however, make it at least a couple times for us over the summer. One of our favorite ways to eat it was the next day, sliced and eaten cold late in the evenings as my girlfriend (who is now my sister-in-law!) and I snuck beers out of the refrigerator and watched Headbanger's Ball. It was also something my Dad always wrapped in tinfoil and threw in the cooler on our days at the beach or hiking in the canyons.

GRANDMA'S RUEBEN BAKE

- 1 pizza crust (recipe below - or if you're in a hurry a store bought crust will do)

- 8-10 oz. corned beef (thinly sliced)

- 3 T. 1,000 Island Dressing

- 1/2 c. sauerkraut (drained)

- 4 oz. Swiss cheese (shredded or thinly sliced) 

The Crust:

This recipe is from Baking With Julia by Dorrie Greenspan - it's a wonderfully diverse recipe and what I love most is that you can make it and freeze it for later use just after the second rise.

1 1/2 t. active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. tepid water (about 80F)

2 T. olive oil

2 1 /4 c. flour

In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast and water together and let sit for about 5 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate. Add olive oil and flour and mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Cover and allow to rise (should double in bulk) in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. 

Deflate the sponge a bit with a spatula and add 2 to 2 1/4 additional cups of flour and 2 t. of salt. Mix with a dough hook until completely incorporated. Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.

Lightly oil a large bowl and turn the dough out into it. Turn the dough gently to oil the entire surface of the dough and cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Prepare a large baking sheet with a light spray of non-stick cooking spray. Transfer your dough to this baking sheet and roll or flatten the dough with your hands into a long oval shape.

Working down the middle of the dough, first spread out the 1,000 Island dressing. Ensure that you are leaving about 1 1/2 inches at each end of the dough. Layer your corned beef on top of the dressing, then add the sauerkraut and top with the Swiss cheese.

 

Take a paring knife and make diagonal cuts in the dough - to create strips - down each side of the dough. Careful not to start your cuts too close to the filling. Then working from one side to the next, fold the strips of dough on top of each other to enclose the filling inside the dough (you can pull them a bit as needed as the dough is fairly elastic). Brush very lightly with olive oil (so lightly, I use my fingers) and sprinkle the top with caraway seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes (or until top begins to turn light gold and you can see the cheese bubbling through the holes in the dough). Let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.

 

MY YOUTH

White Rabbit : Slapshot

With The Quickness : Bad Brains

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida : Iron Butterfly

We Care A Lot : Faith No More

The Sweetest Drop : Peter Murphy

Fire Woman : The Cult

Looking Down A Barrel Of A Gun : Beastie Boys

Promises : Fugazi

Soul On Fire : Danzig

Pigs In Zen : Jane's Addiction

Passing Me By : The Pharcyde

I'm The Man : Anthrax

John The Fisherman : Primus

I Awake : Soundergarden

Listen here.

p.s. My Smoked Salmon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quiche was feautured on The Cooking Channel's Blog today - thank you so much for that CC! 

p.p.s. I'm giving away an advanced copy of my upcoming title, Instant Love: How To Make Magic and Memories With Polaroids over at Nectar & Light - enter to win!

 

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring... or to some, Ostara. The weather here has been incredibly obliging to Mother Nature's schedule and the girls have been running about the yard in shorts and begging for me to set up the sprinkler. We threw open the windows this weekend and filled the house with early blooms from the garden, it's been lovely.

 

And what is Spring without salmon and asparagus? Sunday we put together this quick and beautiful dinner to celebrate the season. You can make this without the goat cheese, but it's my favorite element. I paired the quiche with a simple watercress salad full of greens - enjoy!

SMOKED SALMON, ASPARAGUS & GOAT CHEESE QUICHE

Preheat oven to 325F.

1 pie/quiche crust (see my recipe and instructions here)

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

salt & pepper

1 bunch of asparagus

olive oil

8 oz. smoked salmon

8 oz. goat cheese

Make and roll out your crust and place into a pie or tarte pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then pull from the oven.

Wash, then cut about 2 inches off the ends of the asparagus and lay them on a lightly oiled baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse black pepper and sea salt. Roast for 10 minutes, then pull out and cool. Cut the asparagus into 3-4 inch pieces and set aside.

 

Mix heavy cream, eggs and salt and pepper together until thoroughly combined. 

In your partially baked crust, layer half the smoked salmon, a third of the asparagus (you'll save the final third for the salad) and half of the goat cheese. Repeat to create another layer, then pour the cream and egg mixture over this. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until firm enough to cut. Enjoy!

 

(For the salad, I just threw together watercress, the remaining asparagus, green grapes cut into half pieces, chopped green onions and diced green apples - toss with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar - salt and pepper to taste.)

And our soundtrack to Spring...

OSTARA

Waiting For The Sun : The Doors

Changing The Rain : The Horrors

Bright Futures : Gyspsyblood

Rise From The Shadows : Alberta Cross

At Home : Crystal Fighters

Navigate : Band of Skulls

The Task : Ume

Rainbow : Oh Land

One By One : The Ting Tings

Forever Young : Bob Dylan

Gifts and the Raft : The Cave Singers

Fog Emotion : Vetiver

Dream Evie : Dirty Three

Listen here.