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Appetizers

Honey Baked Feta

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Honey Baked Feta

Simply Divine…..

Whenever I start a post, I first think about WHERE in this big wide world I experienced the dish I am writing about and then my mood is set and I happy dance my way through the blog post all the while I transport back in time.

Since it is going to hit about 94 degrees today , my traveling day dream took me right to Greece, the island of Santorini to be exact, and my blissful moment with honey baked feta and warm flatbread.

We had just returned from a day of exploration on the sandy white beaches of the island and were making our way up the windy cobblestone roads, pressing between the bleach white buildings with cobalt blue awnings and windows draped with magenta and purple flowers filling the air with floral perfume.

We had a quaint rooftop room, which opened to the sea, and each morning and evening we would scan the horizon only to be entranced by the vastness of the unseen border. Magical does nothing to describe the moment.

Because we longed each day to drink in the view, we opted to “splurge” and enjoy a pre-meal nosh with a crisp glass of local Greek white wine. The first evening we encountered Pietro, the boy who was in charge of delivering us our evening delights. He made his way through the tiny opening and onto the balcony with a tray of 2 glasses and a small plate of honeyed warm feta and homemade flatbread. He explained that his family owned a farm out in the country and each week this uncle would deliver fresh sheep feta and honey. His mother would prepare flatbread, warm from the oven, and slather it with the fresh feta and finish it with a dollop of the honey whose hue was golden and fragrant with the flowers from the local hillside. He proceeded to continue explaining not only the simplicity of the dish but also the magnificence of all the accentuating flavors. By the time Pietro left, we were so entranced that all we could do was and envisioned the preparation.

As the sun started to lower over the horizon and the breeze blew against our faces with the slight mist of the sea water, we opened our eyes and bit into the flatbread whose texture was soft and chewy making the perfect platform for the melted feta dripping with honey. We glanced at each other and looked back out over the water. We both smiled and lifted our glasses in honor of the artisans whose love of the craft created a blissful moment in time and a memory of a lifetime.

Honey Baked Feta
 
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 chunk of fresh sheep feta
  • 2-3 T of warm honey
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • fresh warm flatbread or crackers
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler on low. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, put feta. Heat honey on stove with a little water until spreadable. With a spoon or brush, cover feta with honey and place 2 sprigs of thyme. Put under broiler and watch until browns around edges. Remove and place on plate with flatbread or crackers. Serve immediately

Honey Baked Feta

Tortilla Espanola

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A delicious tortilla española can solve any woe…..

Tortilla Espanola

Tortilla Espanola

I think it was in Barcelona sometime around autumn of 2005 when we stumbled upon our favorite tapa bar near the Picasso Museum. When I say stumbled, I mean literally. We had just finished drinking in the wonder of the various works of Picasso which hung in a small, wooden building with old crooked windows and shutters that still worked to shade the sunbeams whose dance threatened the very livelihood of some his greatest pieces.

I am not sure if we were so awestruck by the expanse of his repertoire or we dallied so long through the maze of paintings being transported and lost in both time and space or maybe it was both because when we submerged it was evident we had blissfully forgotten to handle the groaning of our hungry stomachs.

Problem? Shouldn’t be, after all we are in the pulse of Barcelona, gastronomy heaven and tapa bar paradise. But WHERE we were was in Europe and they don’t thrive on “oras continuas” and allow a few famished tourists to break a thousand-year old tradition called “siesta”. Yes, that’s correct, siesta; the fabulous mid-day break for 3 hours where all things “stop” and everyone curls up inside to digest their mid-day feast and refurbish their soul. This wonderful “tradition” happened to slip past the dazed minds of a couple of foreign travelers.

Despite the numerous eateries within a small radius, our luck was outweighed by the tug of the 2 o’clock hour and weary proprietors who were noshing on delicacies before drifting off in slumber.

I think it was the last window we peered in while testing the door in hopes we might magically discover an unlocked entrance and an array of treats. As we glanced around the restaurant our eyes locked with the elderly lady inside who was making her way to a solo table with a tray of tapa delights. Her eyes softened with a motherly instinct and she waved her crooked hand and summoned us to enter through the side door. There wasn’t a moment of hesitation as we rushed around the building and entered the small, rustic restaurant.

We gladly sat down and breathed a sigh of relief as her daughter brought us a carafe of house sangria and a basket of fresh bread. The grandmother had disappeared but only to remerge shortly with round, flat shaped delight which at first glance somewhat resembled some sort of soufflé with fresh oregano, a few olives, and a side of a bright orange-red sauce. I had no idea what this mystery plate was and the hunger pains were overriding my normal interrogation of curiosity. Instead I was affixed on her methodical slicing into perfect wedges and finishing with a dollop of sauce and a handful of olives.

I nodded my head in deep gratitude and sliced my fork through what I could see of layers of thinly sliced potatoes and onions encased in a baked egg mixture. My mouth was watering as I could smell the aroma of this intriguing dish. As I allowed my senses to distinguish all the flavors inside my mouth, first savory and then a hint of smoke and then slight sweetness from the sauce, the subtle textures made up a perfect harmonic bite.

I opened my eyes and glanced at the elderly woman who stood so proudly as the creator of this dish and the answer to our hungry woes. I smiled and said from the depths of gratitude, “Gracias, signora, gracias”, I think the pleasure on my face said how deep it went…..

I’ll never forget my first tortilla espanola from the heart of my new Spanish friend.

Tortilla Espanola
 
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Cuisine: Spanish
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
  • 6 - Yukon Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 - Sweet Onions, thinly sliced
  • 7 - Large Eggs, whisked
  • Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a oven-proof casserole dish, add potatoes and toss with a generous amount of olive oil (these are going to "poach" in the oven). Cover and cook for 20 min.
  3. In a medium sized saute pan, add some olive oil and onions. Cook until translucent and "sweet" (don't caramelize). Remove from stove and add to potatoes, re-cover and cook another 20 minutes. Remove and cool to room temp. Fold in egg mixture and season with salt.
  4. In another medium sized sauté pan, line with parchment paper and heat on high for a couple minutes. Add potato/egg mixture and reduce to medium heat. Cook until firm and set, about 15-20 minutes. Make sure bottom browns but not burns.
  5. Turn oven to high broil and add sauté pan and broil for 5 minutes or until golden spots form on top. Remove from oven and invert onto a platter and remove parchment paper. Cool to room temperature, slice and serve with romesco sauce.

Tortilla Espanola

Artichokes Al Ajillo

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Who doesn’t love artichokes + tomatoes + olive oil + garlic? I know I do, I really do.

Artichokes Al Ajillo

But first, I have this story to tell you. About 2 months ago, I got this AMAZING butcher block from my friend, I mean AMAZING butcher block. It is an antique, about 30x30x14 with a GORGEOUS dove-tail pattern and beautiful carved wooden legs with wheels I can move around. It sits smack dab in the middle of our kitchen for the world to see and everyday I ask myself one simple question, “What I HONESTLY did without it for all my life? What???“

So, I came to the conclusion that I truly can’t answer those particular questions but I do know one thing…..I am OVER THE MOON that I have it now!!!! OMG LIKE OVER THE MOON!!!! Thank you to my sister chick Kelly!

Now you are probably thinking to yourself “Why is she explaining this to me? What on God’s green earth does this have to do with artichokes, tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic? What does this have to do with anything?” LOL…..Well, let me explain.

The reason is simple…..since this butcher block is in the middle of my kitchen floor it has quickly become my gathering table to serve EVERYONE who comes over! We eat, we talk, we hang out. Beside all those awesome bonuses, everything LOOKS prettier on my new block so now we eat, gather, talk, and look good (including the food)….I’d say that life just stepped up a notch on the scale of awesomeness!

Okay back to the other reason for this post well really should be the main reason for this post which is the recipe of “artichokes al ajillo or artichokes cooked in garlic. “ This is one of the EASIEST and TASTIEST tapas you can make. It plays off the traditional shrimp cooked in garlic which is also completely delicious but much more common. Switching it up using the basic sauce just creates something everyone thinks is new AND will think you are a creative genuis (isn’t that what we want anyway?) LOL

Now there really isn’t a trick to this recipe other than whether you purchase a frozen pack of artichokes, a can, or fresh (when in season) just make sure you grill them and be sure to blister the tomatoes. The charred flavor of the artichokes and the smoky flavor of the tomatoes brings such depth to this dish that the layers of flavor are simply magical.

With summer rapidly approaching at warp speed, one of the MOST FUN gatherings you can do is a tapa party…put out about 5-10 different ones (depending on how many people) along with some homemade sangria and Spanish music and WAMMO a night in Spain will surely become memorable!

Artichokes Al Ajillo
 
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Recipe type: Appetizer/Tapa
Cuisine: Spanish
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 bulb garlic, peeled and minced
  • 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 2 tablespoon dry white wine
  • chicken broth
  • 1 package of artichoke hearts (about 2 cups)
  • Freshly cracked pepper
  • Sea salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl put artichokes and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Turn on grill and heat up. In a griddle pan, put artichokes in a single layer and grill until slightly charred. Remove.
  2. In a small sauté pan, add tomatoes on medium and cook until blistered with some black spots. Remove from heat.
  3. In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter and turn heat to medium
  4. Add garlic and cook stirring often for 2 minutes. If garlic is turning brown too quickly turn heat to low
  5. Add tomatoes and cook stirring for 2 minutes
  6. Add wine and cook down for 2 minutes
  7. Add artichoke hearts and cook for 5 minutes.
  8. Add a little chicken broth
  9. Add pepper and salt to taste
  10. Garnish with rosemary sprig (optional)
  11. Serve with rustic bread

Artichokes Al Ajillo

Artichokes Al Ajillo

 

Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry Tart

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Spring has SPRUNG and I wanna HAPPY DANCE!

Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry

The daffodils and tulips are popping up and showing us their bright faces and the fresh produce section of the super markets is overflowing with all the garden yummies like fresh asparagus, leeks, and onions….oh and don’t let me forget to mention how EXCITED I am to plant my garden OMG; I forget how much I love this time of year and dreaming of the days to come!

Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry

Alright, I will snap out of my day dream and get back to the blog post and my obsession with spring veggies. Last weekend, I was invited to a potluck festival and couldn’t RESIST creating something with these new gems in my fridge. I wanted to make a statement, you know, like coming out but coming out “spring” style.

Now because of the time change, (I don’t really like going forward an hour because I feel like something has hit me with a 2 x 4 for about a week), I really needed a recipe that was fabulous, fast, and easy (but still look like it took me hours 🙂 ) so, as I drank my morning coffee I remembered I had some puff pastry in my freezer and immediately it hit me…..A spring puff pastry tart with asparagus and leek! Perfecto, not only is it pretty and fast it is YUMMO!!! Just add some delicious cheeses and WHAMMO we have a masterpiece! How could I be so brilliant on 1 hour less sleep than normal? Must be a inspiration miracle!

Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry

So with this particular puff pastry tart, there really isn’t any special tricks except I do caramelize the leeks before baking because it takes the “edge” off the onion flavor even though leeks are a little sweeter, they still are from the onion family and it might not be a good idea to eat raw onion at a large gathering!

And now the technical part, I roll out 2 puff pastry sheets and fit them into a jellyroll pan. I then fold the edges and score them all around and poke the center of the pastry with a fork. After that, I lay down the cheese and then run the asparagus down the middle in a single row, line the edges with the leek, and pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes! Honestly, it’s almost TOO easy! Oh well, so much for technical merit LOL!

Now that I have taken up a page going on and on about spring and veggies and gardens I do hope I inspired you a little bit…well at least enough to go by the grocery store and take a peek or maybe check out a garden catalog and buy some seeds…

3.0 from 1 reviews
Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry Tart
 
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
  • 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
  • 2 leeks, white and lt green part only, sliced
  • 2 T. butter
  • asiago cheese, grated
  • fontina cheese, grated
  • goat cheese
  • sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Roll out the puff pastry sheets and fit together inside a jelly roll pan and roll the edges over. Make a diagonal slit all around the edge about 1 inch apart. Prick holes in bottom of puff pastry with a fork. In a medium saucepan, heat butter and add leek. Cook until caramelized and add a little salt.
  3. On the bottom of puff pastry, add fontina and asiago cheese and then add dollops of goat cheese. Toss asparagus in a little olive oil and salt.
  4. Begin at one end of pan and down the middle, lay the asparagus. Around the border spoon the cooked leeks.
  5. Put in oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry

Asparagus and Leek Puff Pastry