Apple Tart

[Gloria Kobrin, who graced our internet broadcast on August 15th – just a few weeks ago – graciously agreed to share one of the recipes from her Kosher Cookbook app for iPhone and iPod. Gloria shares her recipes and cooking tips on her Kosher Cookbook page on Twitter.com/Koshercookbook, on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/KosherCookbookApp?ref=nf, and on her blog at: www.koshercookbook.blogspot.com. While this dessert can be enjoyed at any time, it acquires special significance during Rosh Hashana. CS]

Photo by: Gloria Kobrin

Serves 10-12

The sweetness of the apples and vanilla contrasted with the tart marmalade and Grand Marnier baked in a rich crust is spectacular. The extra hand work is worth it.

Ingredients

Crust

• ¼  pound pareve margarine
• ½  cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons  ice water
• 1 ¼ cups flour

Apple Filling

• 8 large Golden Delicious apples
• ¼ pound pareve margarine
• One inch piece of fresh Vanilla bean
• ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
• ½ cup tart orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (see comment and substitute)
• 1 tablespoon water
• Optional: 3 ounces toasted sliced almonds

Equipment

• 11 inch flan ring (or quiche pan with removable bottom)
• Cookie sheet
• Baking parchment
• Electric food processor
• Large skillet
• Fine sieve
• Pastry brush

Directions

1. Line cookie sheet with baking parchment and place flan ring on top of it. Set aside.
2. Put flour and ½ cup sugar in bowl of processor with steel knife attached. Pulse a few seconds.
3. Cut ¼ pound margarine into slices and add them to bowl. Pulse again until mixture resembles crumbs.
4. Beat yolks with water.  Pour this mixture through feeding tube while the processor is running . Turn off processor when a ball of dough has formed. It will be quite soft.  Scrape all dough into the center of flan ring and press it around the ring and up the sides until you have formed a tart shell. Chill for one hour at least.
5. Prepare apples while crust is chilling. Peel, quarter and core 3 apples. Slice them paper thin by hand or in the processor.
6. Melt ¼ pound margarine in skillet. Slice the Vanilla bean in half but leave its spine intact. Add vanilla bean to melted margarine. Add sliced apples to pan and stir constantly until apples have browned. Press down on the vanilla bean to make sure that it has released all its seeds onto the apples. Remove vanilla bean.
7. Remove tart shell from refrigerator. Arrange sautéed apples in an even layer on the bottom of shell.
8. Preheat oven to: 400 F.
9. Peel, quarter, core and slice remaining apples thinly. Place these apples in consecutive layers on top of the sautéed ones. Keep layering apples until they are all used up.
10. Sift ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar over top of tart. Place tart in oven and bake for 45-60 minutes. Watch it carefully to be sure crust doesn’t burn. It will darken considerably.
11. Place apple tart on cooling rack. Melt marmalade with one tablespoon water (can be done in microwave).  Stir in Grand Marnier. Brush glaze gently over the top of the tart. Sprinkle with toasted almonds if desired.  Chill. Serve tart at room temperature.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Recipes We’ve Enjoyed During the Holy Days – Part 2

During the chagim I prepared quite a few dishes I had not made before, as well as some favorites. It was hard to choose which ones to feature here but these two were simple, delicious and the family absolutely loved them.

Photo from: The Big Book of One Pot

Spiced Bismatu Pilau

(From: The Big Book of One Pot – published by Parragon Books 2008)

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups basmati rice
• 6 oz broccoli trimmed
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 5 cardamon pods, split
• 6 whole cloves
• 8 black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 5 cups boiling vegetable stock or water
• 1/2 cup seedless raisins
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Place the rice in the strainer and wash well under cold running water. Drain. Trim off the broccoli stalk, then quarter the stalk lengthwise and cut diagonally into 1/2″ pieces. Cut the remaining broccoli into small florets.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and broccoli stalks, cook over low heat stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, rice, garlic, and spices for 1 minute while stirring until rice is coated in oil.
3. Add the boiling stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the broccoli florets and return the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 15 without uncovering the pan.
4. Remove the pan from from the heat and let the pilau stand for 5 minutes without uncovering. Remove the whole spices, add the raisins and pistachios. Gently fork through to fluff up the grains. Serve the pilau hot.

We like rice dishes and this one certainly did not disappoint!

For dessert, I turned to Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers, (Published by Clarkson Potter, 2005) I’ve made it before and everyone asked for it again:

Photo by: Alan Richardson from Jeff Nathan's Family Suppers

Poached Apricots with Lemon and Thyme

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 pound dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
• vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions

1. Grate the lemon zest from 1 lemon. Juice this lemon and strain the juice. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the second lemon and cut the zest lengthwise into thin strips (julienne) Reserve the second lemon for another use.
2. Mix 2 cups water, the orange juice, honey, sugar, grated lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Add the apricots and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Partially cover the saucepan with the lid, and simmer until the apricots are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and add the thyme and nutmeg. Cool until warm (or cool, cover, and refrigerate until chilled). Serve spooned over ice cream and topped with julienned lemon zest.

Variation: Poached Apricots with Amaretto

In step 3, add 1/4 cup almond flavored liqueur, such as Amaretto di Saronno, to the poaching liquid with the thyme.

As Jeff Nathan says you can serve the apricots without the ice cream as a compote. With everyone having seconds this dessert was gone in no time!

SYR

 

The Contests, so Far…

Because of many requests, we’ve extended our contests until October 31st. On the Jack’s Gourmet Contest, we are giving away $100.00 worth of Jack’s Gourmet Kosher sausages plus a Jack’s Gourmet baseball cap.

Jack's Gourmet is giving $100.00 in all 5 varieties of their sausages, plus a Jack's Gourmet baseball cap

What do you have to do to win all these? How about sending us your best recipes using Jack’s Gourmet kosher sausages. The contest runs through October 31st, winner will be chosen by Chef Jack Silberstein and Dr. Alan Bronner (Jack’s Gourmet owners) and will be announced on these pages on Monday November 14. send in your recipes to kosherscene@gmail.com. If you care to accompany your entry with a good photo of the finished dish, we’ll feature it right here on our blog. To get an idea of what we are looking for go here, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you’ll find some interesting recipes, including two of our own.

SYR's Sausage Pizza, hmm, hmmm! - https://kosherscene.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/jack’s-gourmet-–-part-2/

So far we’ve received 21 recipes ranging from less than mediocre to delicious and creative. We extended the contest as you, gentle reader, requested; why don’t you send those recipes? Show us your creativity!

As for our other contest, don’t forget to send us in your ideas for avoiding the back to school blues to: kosherscene@gmail.com. Why not send us photos of unusual and interesting lunchboxes?

We will publish the best photos and ideas and pick a winner who will receive:

• 1 carton of juice boxes
• 1 dozen assorted fruit roll-ups
• 1 lunch box

Keep those recipes and ideas coming, gentle reader, get to work!

CS

EXTRA, EXTRA! Contest, Contest!!!

Starting today and running until September 20, one of you – gentle readers – will have the chance to win 2 Jack’s Gourmet Variety Packs ($100.00 value)…

and a Jack’s Gourmet cap…

What do you have to do to win all these? How about sending us your best recipes using Jack’s Gourmet. sausages. The contest runs through September 20th, winner will be chosen by Chef Jack Silberstein and Dr. Alan Bronner (Jack’s Gourmet owners) and will be announced on these pages on Monday October 3rd. send in your recipes to kosherscene@gmail.com. If you care to accompany your entry with a good photo of the finished dish, we’ll feature it right here on our blog. To get an idea of what we are looking for go here, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you’ll find some interesting recipes, including two of our own.

Meanwhile don’t forget to send us in your ideas for avoiding the back to school blues to: kosherscene@gmail.com. Why not send us photos of unusual and interesting lunchboxes.

We will publish the best photos and ideas and pick a winner who will receive:

• 1 carton of juice boxes
• 1 dozen assorted fruit roll-ups
• 1 lunch box

Keep those recipes and ideas coming, gentle reader. get to work!

CS