Like Lucky Luke

Lucky Luke draws a gun faster than his shadow. Well, if my shadow is supposed to write about my culinary experiences while I’m cooking, then I’m definitively a lot faster than she is. The truth is, the week-end does not make things better : I have not only the (late) evening but the whole day to prepare some desserts. Yes, you’ll be able to see daylight on my pictures!!

And this week-end was all about cooking and baking. Saturday in the kitchen started at 10 am (no, no more sleep in for me…) and finished at 5:30 pm. With 4 recipes to tell you about.

So, what have I done? It’s Tuesday and still nothing? Am I already on strike? (I’m French, it wouldn’t be that surprising…). Well, the thing is, I’m stubborn. Hey, did someone say monomaniacal ?? When something bugs me, even a little detail, I’ve got to fix it, I can’t work on any other project. This is how I ended up totally dismantling a photocopier because of a paper jam. And this time, even though I don’t understand a thing about html / css , I had to find a way to put a link and not to show the whole posts on my page. I know it’s supposed to be simple. But, when it comes to computers, if I can’t do it with Excel, then… I can’t do it... (so if anyone knows how I can create an index to classify my recipes, PLEASE, don’t hesitate!!)

Anyway, now it’s done, let’s start with the tomato tarte tatin. It’s the first recipe of the week-end, but, most of all, it still balances the number of recipe for sweets. Who would ever have believed that?? (Oh no, it won’t stay that way long…)

I will not tell you that this tarte tatin was perfect. It could be improved. Maybe with some balsamic vinegar reduction. Its sweetness and syrupy texture would marry well with the fragrance of tomatoes and the caramelized (oh, so caramelized. so good….) crust. Or maybe by giving it a more pronounced flavor of garlic and thyme.
But it’s worth the try. Because even without those improvements, we all had a second helping…

Oh, and btw, the photocopier worked fine after I put it back together!!



Tomato Tarte Tatin
From L’ami des jardins et de la maison, Juillet 2008
8 tomatoes
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 oz. Parmesan
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper

Peel the tomatoes : if you don’t have a peeler, let them 2 minutes in boiling water before peeling.
Remove the stem, but leave the tomatoes whole. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Heat one tablespoon oil in a skillet. Cook the tomatoes about 10 minutes, uncovered, over medium heat. Turn them once.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease you pie shell and sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar. Arrange the tomatoes, sprinkle with the rest of sugar and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with parmesan, and let cool for 20 more minutes.
Heat oven to 390°.

Arrange the puff pastry sheet over the tomatoes, and put back in the oven for 20 minutes.

Cover the pie shell with your serving plate, and invert to loosen pie. Serve immediately.


Tatin de tomates
De l’Ami des jardins et de la maison, Juillet 2008
8 tomates moyennes,
1 cercle de pâte feuilletée,
50g de parmesan rapé
2 cuillères à soupe d’huile d’olive
2 cuillères à café de sucre
Sel et poivre

Pelez les tomates : si vous n’avez pas de peleur, plongez les dans une casserole d’eau bouillante pendant 2 minutes, la peau s’enlèvera ensuite sans difficulté.
Eliminez les pédoncules, salez et poivrez les tomates.
Faites les revenir dans une poêle chaude avec une cuillère d’huile d’olive pendant une dizaine de minutes. Commencez par faire revenir le dessous de la tomate, puis retournez les pour qu’elles rejettent leur eau.
Huilez le moule à tarte, soupoudrez d’une cuillère de sucre et disposez les tomates. Ajoutez le reste du sucre et faites cuire à 180° pour 20 minutes.
Sortez le plat du four et soupoudrez avec le parmesan. Laissez refroidir encore 20 minutes.
Recouvrez les tomates avec le cercle de pâte, en rentrant les rebords à l’intérieur du moule. Faites cuire 20 minutes à 200°.
Démoulez la tarte tatin et servez aussitôt.