Alsatian Onion and Potato Tart with Spring Garlic, Asparagus & Crème Fraiche Makes two 8-10” tarts

1 box thawed puff pastry (chilled) 4 oz unsalted butter 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced ½ cup chicken, or vegetable stock 2 bu spring garlic or spring onions, thinly sliced salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste ½ cup crème fraiche (see below) ¼ lb thick cut bacon, cut into ½ ” pieces ¼ lb Gruyere cheese, grated ½ lb medium asparagus (cut about 4-5 inches from top)

Crème Fraiche – Needs to be made 2 days in advance. Heat 1 cup of cream to a simmer, remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice. Cover and set aside on counter overnight. The next day, place in refrigerator for 24 hours to thicken up. Keeps about 2 weeks refrigerated.

Onion Tart Unroll puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using the lid of a pot as a guide, cut the pastry with a sharp knife into circles 8-10 inches across. Transfer the rolled- out pastry to parchment lined baking sheet and prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Over medium heat, sweat onions in butter for 2-3 minutes, add stock and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender and all the liquid has reduced to the point of just coating the onions, about 20-30 minutes. Add spring garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer mixture to a plate and cool to room temp. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch asparagus 15 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain and dry. Add bacon to boiling water and blanch 1 minute. Drain and pat dry. Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat and lightly brown bacon for a minute or two. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator , brush with egg wash and spread a thin layer of crème fraiche (3-4 Tbs) over the dough, leaving about a ½” border. Scatter bacon over crème fraiche, followed by the cheese and then onions. Arrange potato slices and asparagus on top, brush with olive oil and return tart to refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill the dough again. Bake the tart for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and bubbly in middle. Serve warm. As an option, top with baby arugula tossed with a little good quality extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and fresh ground pepper.

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad with Lemon, Garlic and Yogurt Dressing serves 4-6

1 lb tri-color bow tie pasta, or whole grain shell pasta 1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/3” thick 1 small red onion, sliced 1/3” thick 1 small green zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/3” thick 1 small yellow zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/3” thick 1 red bell pepper, quartered and deseeded 1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and deseeded 1 peeled cucumber, quartered lengthwise, deseeded, and sliced 1/3” thick ½ lb medium asparagus, ends snapped off ½ lb boiled new potatoes, sliced ½” thick ½ lb roma tomatoes, quartered and sliced 1/3” thick ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered 2 cups baby arugula 6 Tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Continue to drain, gently shaking strainer to get rid of as much water as possible. Transfer to a large bowl. Preheat gas or charcoal grill over high heat. Lightly brush vegetables (eggplant, onion, zucchini’s, bell pepper, asparagus and potatoes) with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat just until tender. Transfer to a sheet pan in a single layer to cool. Cut into bite-size pieces about the size of the pasta being used. Add everything but the arugula to the pasta and toss to combine. Add dressing and toss to coat. Add arugula and gently mix in. Serve.

“Tzatziki” Dressing

½ cup non-fat thick Greek yogurt (Chobani or Fage brands) 1 tsp lemon zest 4 Tbs chopped lemon segments 4 Tbs fresh lemon juice 1 Tbs finely minced garlic 4 tsp minced shallot ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp toasted ground cumin ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbs chopped fresh oregano 4 Tbs chopped fresh mint

Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Strawberry Lemon Verbena Ginger Tea Yield: about 1 gallon

12 cups water 1-1/2 cups sugar 1 Tbs grated ginger ½ cup chopped fresh lemon verbena (or ¼ cup finely grated lemongrass bulb) 2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and hulled 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

Combine 1-1/2 cups water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in lemon verbena and ginger. Let sit 20 minutes. When cool, strain into a a blender jar, add strawberries and puree. Transfer to a one gallon pitcher, stir in remaining water and lemon juice. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.

Chef Jim LaPerriere / distinctivedining.biz / [email protected] / 616-212-5695 Demonstration Dinners / Cooking Classes / Private Instruction / Catering