Last week was Julia Child’s birthday and if you are connected with any French cooking classes through email or Facebook I’m sure you shared with me the message reminders of this special occasion.
Having read ‘My Life in France’ and seen the movie ‘Julie and Julia’ I was impressed with Mrs. Child’s dedication to learning and perfecting the dishes she learned to prepare at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. However, I’ve been intimidated when perusing the recipes in her famous cookbooks which are quite daunting in their size alone (they’re about three inches in height with the recipes displayed in very detailed small print from top-to-bottom leaving thin margins of white space). Even with discount coupons at the American kitchen chain store, Sur La Table, I’ve passed on the opportunities to purchase her hardbound encyclopedias of cuisine. But after taking the cooking class to make Macarons (see previous post) from the local Sur La Table store and learned how the hands-on experience from professional chefs makes it so much easier to absorb, I quickly signed-up for the ‘Celebrating Julia Child’ class offered there this month. And I am so glad I did! Everything we prepared was absolutely divine from the Puff Pastry, to the Bouillabaisse, Duck a L’Orange and the Grand Marnier Soufflé. Thank you Julia for your superb recipes and a very Happy Birthday to you!!!
Here is the recipe for the Puff Pastry:
Puff Pastry Tart of Heirloom Tomatoes, Eggplant,
Caramelized Leeks and Gruyere Cheese
4 T unsalted butter
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced
1 t Herbes de Provence
1 small eggplant, trimmed, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 t kosher salt, plus more as needed
4 oz Chevre cheese, crumbled
2 oz Roquefort cheese, grated
2 oz Gruyère cheese, grated
1 large ripe heirloom tomato, thinly sliced, drained on paper towels
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/2 C pitted Niçoise olives, chopped
1/4 C finely chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place a rack in the center. To prepare vegetable filling, place butter in a large skillet and hear over medium heat. Add leeks and Herbes de Provence and cook until light golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally until eggplant is tender and leeks are deep golden another 6-8 minutes. Stir in 1 t salt. Set aside.
Combine the Chevre, Roquefort, and Gruyère cheeses in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Place the tomato slices in a shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
To prepare the puff pastry shell, lightly dust a work surface with flour. Unfold 1 sheet of thawed puff pastry and fold in half and tear; then fold each half in two again and tear so that you have four small squares. With a floured rolling pin, thin and round these and place each into four small tart pans pressing firmly in place. Trim the excess from the rims and prick bottoms and sides generously with a fork. Place the tarts on a cookie sheet and transfer to preheated oven and bake in middle rack until light golden, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow shell to cool slightly. Scatter the leeks and eggplant over the bottom of the pastry shell. Top with the cheeses, reserving 1/2 C. Drain the tomatoes thoroughly and arrange them on top of the cheeses. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and olives. Place the tarts back in the oven and bake until the cheeses are bubbly and the tart shell is golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Garnish with the chopped basil and serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: T is for tablespoon, t is for teaspoon, oz. is for ounce, and C is for cup.
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