Tomato Ricotta Tart

 

This is another recipe from visiting my sister and her husband. You might be wondering about the fact that I'm in another city, yet there are plenty of Pampered Chef products at my disposal. Well, I'm in my 13th year of business, and my sister has been my best customer. In short, cooking at her house is about like cooking in my own. All Pampered Chef all the time. So no, I didn't bring knives on the plane.

Betsy and I sat down and pulled several things we'd like to try from her stack of Cooking Light magazines, and this tart was something we had in mind for a casual sister brunch. That's a funny thought when there's a two-week-old in the house, but ignorance is bliss, right? Well, at least ignorance gets you to buy vine-ripe tomatoes and expensive cheese that you'd hate to see wasted. I had a lunch with a fellow consultant scheduled yesterday, and I didn't want to leave my sister alone without a treat. I was determined to get this cooked and the kitchen cleaned before I left, and I actually accomplished it! Read: This is my disclaimer for the lack of crust prettiness you'll see when you scroll down.

 

 Tomato Ricotta Tart

chefjennylyn.com

 

Crust:

5.6 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons ice water

 

Filling:

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided

1.5 ounces aged Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided (about 6 tablespoons)

1 pound heirloom tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

 

Preheat oven to 450°.

To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until combined. Combine oil and 3 tablespoons ice water in a small bowl. With processor on, slowly add oil mixture through food chute, and process until dough is crumbly. Sprinkle dough into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate coated with cooking spray. Press dough into an even layer in bottom and up sides of dish. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Combine ricotta, egg, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk. Add 1/4 cup basil and 1/4 cup Gruyère cheese, stirring to combine. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over crust. Arrange tomato slices in a circular pattern over ricotta mixture, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle tomatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons Gruyère cheese. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil.

 

 

Above, several ingredients are in the Deep Dish Pie Plate (This one is blue, but it comes in cranberry.), and I've got a Bar Board, a Cutting Mat, The Easy Read Measuring Cups, Measuring Cup Set, and a 4" Serrated Knife ready to go.  Oh, and salt is in a Pinch Bowl.

Have you ever used the Pampered Chef Garlic Press?  If not, let me just tell you it's amazing.  I've had mine since 2000, and it still works perfectly.  You don't have to peel the garlic!  See the garlic coming out of there?  See the picture below with the peel on my Bar Board?  Yep.  Anyway, this is going into the 2-Qt. Stainless Mixing Bowl for my filling mixture.  In the background, I've got the Measure-All Cup and a 1-Cup Prep Bowl.

The Measure-All Cup is one of those products the people who have it want to tell everyone about.  When you go from measuring peanut butter and other sticky ingredients in a standard cup to one that pops it out like a syringe, it's worth talking about.  Here, I've got my ricotta popped and ready to scrape right into my mixing bowl.

I'm just going to admit that Betsy had to help me with her food processor.  I measured out the crust ingredients, but she did the actual mixture for me.  To the right of the processor, I've got Pinch Bowls, Measuring Cups, the Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup, and a 2-Cup Prep Bowl on a Flexible Cutting Mat.  Do you see the nuts we used in the crust?  They're not pine nuts, but have you seen the price on those lately?  When deciding whether to purchase a small jar of pine nuts or twenty ounces of gold, Betsy and I quickly decided the walnuts she already had in her pantry surely couldn't ruin this crust.  You know what?  We were right.

The 4 1/2" Serrated Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection is my favorite for slicing tomatoes.  The skins are no match for this blade, and the knife is really easy to handle.  I've got the Bar Board for the tomatoes and a Cutting Mat because I just didn't move it out of the way.

This crust could have been pretty, but I was in a rush.  Instead of trying to spread it evenly, I just decided to make sure it would hold filling.  That said, the crust was great!  It can definitely be used for other savory recipes like quiche and... quiche?

Hello, Gruyere!  Ok, so this was delicious!  However, if you already have sharp white cheddar or another cheese you want to try in this recipe, don't feel the need to buy anything else.  The recipe doesn't call for much, and other cheeses will substitute nicely.  I used the Rotary Grater to grate the cheese into an Easy Read Measuring cup.

Spread your filling, layer your tomatoes, grate a little more cheese over the top, and you're ready to bake!  This really was a great recipe, and I can see myself serving it for a fun brunch sometime.  This is woman food at its best!

 

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E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464

 



Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Goat cheese is always the right decision. This is the best bruschetta I've ever had, and that's a big deal when you consider that I'm kind of a bruschetta connoisseur. The key behind this recipe is my obsession with food. Since seeing the movie Julie & Julia, I've thought off and on about the bruschetta Julie makes her husband... the way it's grilling in a pan... the way it looks on the table... the fact that her husband is absolutely smitten by his wife's abilities in the kitchen. So for the last couple of years I've considered bruschetta and how to do it like Julie. I searched high and low, finally stalking the food stylist from the movie (that's difficult to admit), but I never found the actual recipe. Instead, I've created my own version using a couple of different recipes along with the movie's fried bread as inspiration. My friend Ashleigh came to cook with me, and she and I agreed that this is pretty much the most amazing food one can ever eat. Roasted tomato mixture + goat cheese + fried bread. Can it get any better?

Goat Cheese Bruschetta

chefjennylyn.com

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

3-4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1/4 cup goat cheese

8 slices French baguette

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, 1 tbsp. olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Roast in oven 20 minutes.

While tomato mixture cooks, heat 2-3 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet. Fry bread in oil, browning on each side. Add more oil if necessary.

Spread goat cheese on each bread slice, and top with tomato mixture.

Prepare to swoon.

Fresh tomatoes are vital for this recipe. You'll see what I'm talking about when you pull them out of the oven. I'm draining these in a Stainless Mesh Colander and using the 4 1/2" Serrated Knife from the Forged Cutlery Collection to slice them. After throwing them in a Measuring Cup, I'm ready to prepare my other ingredients.

The Dripless Oil Bottle is new this month, and it's legit. I mean, this thing really won't drip oil at all! There's a Vinegar Bottle, too! My oil's in an Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup, and basil and tomatoes are in Measuring Cups. My salt and pepper are in a Pinch Bowl, and I've got garlic ready to go with the Garlic Press. Have you ever used the Pampered Chef Garlic Press? If you're peeling garlic every time you want to add it to a recipe, you're missing out. No more peeling garlic when you use this thing! Moving on... Everything is on the Large Grooved Cutting Board, and it's over my sink to save valuable counter space.

Do I look like a woman on a mission? A mission to get brushetta in my face, perhaps? The mixture is in a Small Batter Bowl, and it's about to roast to perfection on the Medium Bar Pan.

Now the real magic begins. I promise frying the bread takes this recipe to the next level. It also allows a little bit of protection to keep the soggy factor down. When serving appetizers, it's a big deal to have a few recipes that can stand to sit out a bit before getting gross. These slices are in the 10" Executive Skillet from the Executive Cookware Collection, and I'm using the Chef's Tongs to turn them.

Spread goat cheese on the bread, pile on the tomatoes, and watch out. Eat with friends because it's the only way to exercise self control. You've been warned.

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Shop Online 24/7 at pamperedchef.biz/jennylyn

E-mail me: chefjennylyn[at]gmail.com

Call me up: (205) 585-2464