Tarte Soleil

I saw this beautiful snack on Smitten Kitchen and had to try it. It's so easy! It looks really fancy, but it's super simple. Very tasty and would be great to have out for a cocktail party. You can fill it with anything (cheese, chocolate, nutella...) but I tried a savory one first with tapenade. I did a mini one using just one sheet of puff pastry, but you can do a bigger one using two. 

Ingredients:

1 sheet thawed puff pastry

tapenade (I made some by pureeing black olives, sundried tomatoes, capers, garlic, anchovy paste, olive oil, and red pepper flakes, but store-bought works, too!)

grated pecorino

1 egg, beaten up with some water

Candied Bacon (or crack)

If you need a new make-ahead salty cocktail snack, this is it. It's salty and sweet and crunchy and bursting with flavor. It's completely addictive and totally delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup nuts (I like spicy smokehouse almonds)

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 lb bacon

Directions:

Blend first six ingredients in a food processor. Add maple syrup until it's almost in a sandy paste. Season to taste with more sugar or chipotle as you like.

Fluffy Hummus

This was the lightest, fluffiest hummus I've ever made, and possibly ever had. The caveat is that it's a pain in the butt to get it that way. I read that if you peel the chickpeas (that's right, each and every individual canned chickpea) the consistency would be dramatically lighter. Somewhat unfortunately, that is exactly right. I stood in my kitchen for about 15 minutes popping the little translucent skins off the chickpeas and it was not fun. Would have been better to do it in front of the TV or something. Then I made the hummus, half hoping it would be the same so I'd never have to do it again, and half hoping it would be cloudlike and fluffy to justify my labor. It was the latter. Not sure this will be my moda operandi for casual hummus making, but maybe if I plan ahead. I'd also like to try it with the food mill since it works to get the skin off tomatoes.

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
1 garlic clove
juice of half a lemon
big pinch of cayenne pepper
big pinch of cumin
a few tbsp of water
a few tbsp of olive oil
salt to taste

Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

These are delicious. I didn't think rice crispy treats needed fixing, but wow, just by browning the butter first and adding a little salt you really bump up the flavor. They did not last long - my friend Elaine did some major damage. These are perfect if you need something to throw together quickly and cheaply to bring to a party or work or anything.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 10 oz bag marshmallows

heaping 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt

6 cups Rice Krispies

Butter or nonstick spray for the pan

Directions:

Fried Jalapenos and Zucchini

I had some fresh vegetables from my garden (an eggplant, some zucchini, and some jalapenos) and was trying to think of new ways to eat them. I made a pasta with zucchini, eggplant, garlic, bacon, and tomatoes, but I wanted to try a new an hors d'oeuvres as well. I sliced the smallest zucchini into very thin discs with a mandolin, tossed them with flower, and quickly shallow fried them. I then did the same thing with a few jalapenos. So good! I don't know why this isn't a regular bar option. The fried jalapenos were so tasty - they were spicy, but not overwhelmingly so, and had a great crunch. Mixed with the little zucchini discs (which were crispy and a little sweet) it made such an amazing snack. I definitely want to make this next time I have people over. Also, it's so cheap! A couple zucchini and a couple of jalapenos will cost like $2 tops. Can't wait to make it again!

Ingredients:
One (or more) small and firm zucchini, sliced into very thin rounds
2 (or more) jalapenos, sliced into very thin rounds

Vermont goodies

We skied in Stratton today and on the way back to the motel I ran into St. Arnold's and got the most amazing snack! Best après ski ever. A growler of local mountain ale from The Shed Brewery in Stowe, blue corn chips from Madhouse Munchies (from VT too), some spicy, smoky, slightly sweet salsa (Fire in the Mountains' forest fire salsa - you can get it here), and awesome, woodsy, Boggy Meadow Farm fiddlehead tomme. I highly recommend all of these things and may be buying out St. Arnold's - the teeniest store with the most amazing beer selection - on my way home. Certainly I'll stop back tomorrow for more après goodies!






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