Tomato Tart & Veggie Friends

Want to impress the veggie lovers in your life? Want to impress the stubborn eaters in your life who might eat red meat one too many times a month? Want to impress them all at the same time? 

This is your tart. 

This dinner party happened last week with Alayna and her lady folk and then I repeated it when my parents and extended family came over for brunch. All parties were impressed. And see that, this is both a good dinner and a good brunch. Excellent.

And it's easy to make-- even if it's 10am on a Saturday and you're a little hungover like I might have been and you're entire family is about to bust into your apartment and you are still in your pajamas-- whatever the circumstances, you will impress someone. 

Here we go: Tomato Tart*, Veggie Salad & Spinach and Mushrooms

*Tomato Tart is a slightly modified version of Meredith's tart. Thanks Meredith.

Pastry:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 stick of cold, unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Zest from 1/2 lemon
1/4 c. ice water

Filling:
1 1/2 to 2 tbspn dijon mustard
2 tbspn Parmesan cheese
small handful of chopped basil
some shakes of thyme
small handful of chopped parsley
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
6-8 plum tomatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 tbspn olive oil
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tspn water

Pulse the butter, flour, salt, lemon zest & Parmesan together in a food processor, hand mixer or by hand.  When it has formed a coarse meal, add water slowly until the dough binds. Can either be used immediately, or made ahead and refrigerated(let it soften to room temp for 30 min if chilled).

Preheat the over to 425.  Roll the dough out on a floured surface to make a 12 inch circle.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (NOTE! PARCHMENT PAPER IS NOT THE SAME AS WAX PAPER... we discovered this once the smell of burning started coming out of the oven and ended up transferring everything to a pie pan to prevent fire. Meredith says you can also just use a greased pan if you don't have parchment).  Using a pastry brush, spread the mustard over the surface, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border.  Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Mix all the herbs and the salt & pepper in a bowl.  Arrange half of tomato slices over the mustard and sprinkle with half of the herb mixture.  Repeat.  Fold the edge of the pastry over the tomatoes, and pinch any cracks to keep juices in while baking.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Brush crust with yolk mixture.  Bake for20-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.  Let rest for 10 minutes.  Serve warm.

Salad!

Cut up cucumber, avocado, tomato and red/yellow peppers if you have them, mix with a handful of chopped fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic

Optional addition: I added some mango and it was awesome.

Mushrooms & Spinach

Slice 4-6 cloves of garlic and saute on low heat in walnut or olive oil in a big pot. After about a minute, add in a box of sliced baby bella (or really any type) of mushrooms and saute until they start to cook through. Once the mushrooms are getting softer, add in a bag of spinach and stir to distribute oil. Cover and let cook slowly, stirring occasionally. Add rock salt to tast.

Happy Tomato Tarts.

PS I wanted to post the after pictures of this dinner party but Alayna didn't let me. But let me say, tart makes people crazzzzy.

Penne a la Vodka, Salad & Fruit & Cream

Mmm. Hmm. Scratching your head are we? Thinking to yourself, boy, does that pot of sauce sure look like that tomato soup Monday's Soup made in February of this year?

Sure does.

Sure done does.

This is how soup is so brilliant. It can be more than one thing. Watch as we impress a room full of ladies with a sauce that is actually a soup. 

Nooo you didn't.

Yes we did.

Girls had no idea. Suckers.

Who knew our apartment was so big? 

Well, Alayna and I do after she made me tape measure the whole thing. 

Anyone want to sublet a room?

Right. So here are the girls. Drinking wine, swapping stories of people peeing on the subways (other people) and the ilk.

Pasta is cooking. Sauce is simmering. Folks are relaxing.

(It's late right now. And I think I'm delirious. But I'd be too sad for Lauren Cook if I didn't post this by tomorrow.)

And it's time to eat. I do believe Kate Zimmer said something along the lines of, "How many helping can I eat and still wear a waistband tonight?"

Is that even true? I swear you said something like that.

And I had three helpings.

But I NEVER wear waistbands.

Lauren Cook, ladies and gentlemen. Monday's Soup fan of the week.

Looks like some good times.

Alayna makes whipping cream in the corner. 

That's where the blender is. When you live in Manhattan you do things like this.

And then we started playing cat in the bag.

You can't see. But there is a cat in the bag.

Hmmm. What's in that ole rain boot?

Why it's a cat!

Okay, I know, what did we make already. Here you go... 

Penne a la Vodka (or pasta with tomato soup but that does NOT sound fancy)

Ingredients

2 big cans of crushed tomatoes
6- 8 cloves of garlic chopped
red pepper (like the spice not the vegetable)
heavy cream
olive oil
a bunch of basil, chopped

Now Do This... 

Saute chopped garlic in big soup bowl. 
Add a generous portion of red pepper.
When sauteed dump in the two cans of crushed tomatoes and stir
Add the basil (a lot of basil)
Let simmer for about 30 minutes
Add as much heavy cream as desired, depending on your tomato soup cream preference and cook about five more minutes, then turn off... i like to let it cool a little before it's served so it thickens a little
serve with penne pasta

SALAD:
spinach, seedless red grapes, chopped walnuts and chopped almonds
dressing:

olive oil, a large spoonful of mustard (not yellow, but any of the other kinds), a small spoonful of sugar and 2-3 caps of white vinegar
adjust to your own taste, stir with a fork and let sit for at least 10 min before serving

DESSERT:
blackberries, blueberries and strawberries 
whipped cream:

mix heavy cream and about 1 tablespoon of vanilla either in the blender on "aerate" or by hand with a whisk. NOTE: the cream should be cold to do this! otherwise it won't foam!
once the cream is stiff, add sugar to taste (don't need much) and serve!

THANK GOODNESS FOR AIR HOLES!