Archive for September, 2010

Crostini with Onion Confit and Petit Basque Cheese

Onion confit is just onions, cooked long and gently, seasoned with a bit of balsamic vinegar and salt. That’s it. But during hours of simmering, the onions turn caramel-gold and their flavor changes from sharp and pungent to rich and sweet. It’s ridiculously simple to make, provided you have a heavy pan with a tightly-fitting cover (une cocotte!), and a few hours to let the onions reduce to a thick jam. Smear the jam on garlicky crostini and top with a thin shaving of nutty Petit Basque cheese to create an inspired appetizer — or snack!

Figs with Fromage Frais and Lavender Honey

Late Summer figs have a richer, more concentrated flavor than the Spring crop, almost jam-like. Unfortunately their season lasts only a few weeks. Fromage frais accentuates their ruby-pink sweetness, and a drizzle of lavender honey adds subtle floral notes. Such an uncomplicated dessert to make, but the ingredients blend together to produce a sophisticated whole.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette

Late summer tomatoes are just about perfect: deep, concentrated flavor, deftly balanced between sweet and acid. Their colorful, juicy ripeness is complemented by crisp, pale green cumbers and a tangy black olive tapenade-based vinaigrette. Such simple ingredients, adding up to something so joyously flavorful!

Tunisian Tuna and Egg Briks

Briks are delicious savory pastries encased in warka, a unique, paper-thin wrapper. This recipe is for classic fried Tunisian tuna-and-egg briks. We are also providing a spinach-feta brik recipe in which the briks are baked. Both are delicious!

Spinach and Feta Briks

These spinach and feta-stuffed briks are similar to Turkish borek and Greek spanakopita. Unlike classic briks, these are baked, not fried. They also make a wonderful appetizer when made as miniatures!