Tomato Basil Tart with Yogurt Custard

The recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine with cheese and basil in the crust and a tomato olive layer on the bottom of the custard is simply delicious.  This recipe is a keeper.  Mine is made in individual tart pans with the ingredients I have on hand.
  

Tomato Basil Tart with Yogurt Custard

(4 individual tarts)

Crust
In a food processor, mix flours, cheese, basil and Mrs. Dash.  Cut in buttery spread.  With motor running, gradually add cold water.
Form dough into a ball.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes. 
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 teaspoon fresh basil, snipped
1/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash
4 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery spread
1 1/2 tablespoon cold water
Remove from refrigerator and divide in quarters.  Pat each dough piece into a circle.  Place in tart pans.  Remove overhang.

Tomato Olive Layer
Over low heat, cook olives, garlic, pepper flakes and tomatoes until most of liquid from tomatoes has evaporated.
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups diced red tomatoes
1/4 cup diced Kalamata olives


Custard Filling
Beat eggs, yogurt and Mrs. Dash.
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt, nonfat
1/8 teaspoon Mrs. Dash

Tart Assembly
Place grated cheese on bottom of tart shell.
3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
Add tomato-olive mix.
Cover with custard filling.
Bake at 425 F. for 15 minutes. 

Without removing tarts from oven, add grated cheese.  Bake an additional 10 minutes until browned.
3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated 

Happy "Meatless" Monday!

   

Cabin Creations

Our annual cabin getaway to Holly River, a tranquail West Virginia state park, is the perfect summer vacation for the two of us.  The one room cabin has a kitchen, stocked with dishes and pans.  We pack a cooler and drive the two hour trip to this gorgeous mountainside park in rural Webster County.  

The cabin has a bathroom and fireplace, but no electronics.  No TV, internet or cell phone access for three days.  We hike, we take pictures, we read.  This year we even brought our crafts. I swam laps in the pool in fairly chilly water on two afternoons-a summer pleasure that always delights.

I brought my crock pot the first day and filled it with vegetables and a small local chicken shortly after checking in.  That was dinner with leftovers.

For breakfast I made eggs over easy, one day with sunny morning muffins, once with pancakes and once with biscuits.  Blueberries and strawberries were 99 cents a package for the July 4th holiday and those were a perfect fruit combination.

The beef and vegetable skewers, filled with local vegetables and a little steak was dinner on the second day.  The last day we shared a dinner from the park restaurant.  The food is homemade-the portions are big-and we each got a homemade roll to go with our meat and two vegetable dinner. One night we got ice cream and ate it on the restaurant swing.  Another night we shared a dessert.

The pancake recipe is from Eating Well.

Blueberry Pancakes

(Serves 5)

Beat egg and sugar.
1 egg
1 teaspoon sugar 

Stir together dry ingredients.
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt

Mix together liquid ingredients.
3/4 cup skim milk
2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon oil (olive or canola)

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Alternately add dry and liquid ingredients to egg-sugar mix.  DO NOT OVERMIX.

Stir in blueberries.
1/2 cup fresh blueberries


I did not have the perfect dippers like at home, so I poured the batter from a cup into the iron skillet in the cabin.  What fun!

The kabob marinade is from Family Circle.

Sweet Soy Marinade

(Serves 2)

2 tablespoon soy sauce, reduced sodium
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  

 
   

Fourth Feast

We found the perfect spot by a lake for our holiday picnic-one starting with a scallop pasta salad and ending with a red, white & blue parfait.  Our menu featured:

Scallop Pasta Salad 

Cheese Board

Tomato Olive Bread

Berry Yogurt Parfait

For the salad I chopped various vegetables and fresh herbs.  I steamed a few market peas for a few minutes and added those to farmers market tomatoes, carrots, radishes and garlic scapes.  I included celery and fennel from my refrigerator.  The fresh herbs were from my back deck, and I included a little of most:  basil, thyme, cilantro, oregano and chives.  I do not worry about portion control on these raw vegetables.  I cook only the amount of pasta I need, usually a little less than the serving size on the package.  The pasta is drained and rinsed with cold water before mixing with the vegetables.  The dressing is from Southern Living: (Open this link to see the clever way they serve the salad!) 

Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette

(Serves 2)

2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

I brushed a little of the vinaigrette on the jumbo scallops and broiled, then cooled to top the salad.

The tomato and olive bread recipe is a keeper.  The dough fills a large, double round loaf pan and only needs to rise once.

The parfait has layers of chopped fresh blueberries and strawberries between a plain non-fat yogurt, mixed with a teaspoon of honey.

Curtisville Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA), just outside of Mannington, West Virginia, was the location.  We found a picnic table directly by the lake.  The wild flowers were full of gold finches and the stocked lake was filled with small, blue fin fishes.  A bull frog honked nearby.  Since this is only 40 miles from home, we'll be sure and return here in the fall when the leaves turn!

 

     

Independence Weekend Culinary Demo

BBQ Beef "Puffs" with Peach Slaw, our culinary sampler for today, was a hit. The aroma of the barbecue sauce simmering in a soup crock drew people to the booth. The tender beef served in light "puffy' buns were 3 bite portions.  The peach and cabbage slaw with a slightly sweet vinaigrette added a seasonal and unique flair.  In 3 hours, my spouse and I served 275 farmers market customers.  And my sponsor Working H Farm sons, working in the adjacent spaces, were just as busy.  They "sold out" of the 50 dozen eggs they brought to the market and the multiple coolers of meat, some weighing 300 pounds a piece, were much lighter for the trips home.  Here is the consumer recipe:

For the demo, the quantity ingredients for 250-1 tablespoon portions of BBQ Beef are:
 Beef Rub
10 # raw beef (sirloin tip, flank, brisket or top round)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon 2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon 2 teaspoon cumin
2 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

BBQ Sauce
4 cups cider vinegar
4 cups ketchup
1 tablespoon 2 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoon chili powder  

Peach Slaw
3 # cabbage
10 peaches
1 # red pepper
10 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

The water "recipe" today was the simple, refreshing pineapple orange blend.  I simply cut up 1 pineapple into slices and 4 oranges into quarters and combined with ice and water.  The kids enjoyed eating the crispy pineapple at markets end.  The recipes are part of the collection from WVU Extension's "Rethink Your Drink" campaign.

 

Mediterranean Veggies on Onion Rye

This onion rye bread was the perfect bread to heat filled with olives, vegetables and cheese.  Here's how I made it:

Onion Rye Bread

(2 baquettes)

Mix rye and whole wheat flours with yeast and sugar in mixing bowl.
1 1/2 cups whole grain rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 tablespoon sugar


Heat milk and water to 125 F.  Add to dry mix in bowl.  With dough hook in place, beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water

Add oil, salt, onion, seeds and 1/2 cup flour.  Beat for 2 minutes.
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup onion, minced
2 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/2 cup all purpose flour

Slowly add remaining flour, kneading for approximately 10 minutes until dough leaves sides of bowl.
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour 

Place dough in greased bowl.  Turn to coat.  Cover;  let rise until double in bulk.

Punch dough down.  Shape and place in pan greased with olive oil spread.  Cover;  let rise until double in bulk. 

Bake at 375 F. for approximately 30 minutes.

The sandwich recipe was inspired by Rachael Ray.  I placed the olives and vegetables in a small food processor which made the hollowed out bread easier to fill.  My mix has kalamata olives, garlic, lemon juice, eggplant, yellow squash, red pepper, parmigiana cheese and fresh basil. This sandwich could be made with slices of bread or rolls, brushed with an olive tapenade, and filled with slices of vegetables and cheese.

I saved the hollowed out bread for crumbs-won't that be good on a baked casserole?

 The bread was delicious with this Harissa Bean Casserole.  As with most of the recipes I make, I add as many vegetables as I want, while controlling the amount of fats, beans, meat and cheese.

Porchnic

After spending the day on an escort with my husband, we dined by candlelight on our deck and kept our picnic streak going!  A few fireflies were out, the temperature was just right and our Sunday was spent side-by-side.  The menu featured Chili Lime Steak and Red Potato-Tomato and Fresh Pea Salad with crusty bread.

Red Potato-Tomato and Fresh Pea Salad

(Serves 3)

Cook potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes.  
12 ounce small new red potatoes
Drain and chill.  Cut in half.

Combine oils and vinegar.  Pour over potatoes.  Add celery and fresh herbs.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup celery, diced
2 tablespoon fresh basil, snipped
2 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped

Before serving add tomato.
1 fresh tomato, diced

Microwave shelled peas in a small amount of water for 90 seconds.  Drain.
1/4 cup fresh shelled peas
Garnish potato salad with fresh peas.

 
   

 

To Do List for RDs to Be

I was honored to be the guest speaker at the 33rd annual Dietetic Internship Graduation at WVU Medicine.  Here is my presentation:

The presentation was based on a book I made for my son when he graduated high school.  The book was a list of things I hoped he'd do in his adult life.  For the interns, families and dietitians, I related that list to our profession.

 

Here are my 15 pieces of advice for “future RDNs”.

Keep growing.

Some will find the perfect job right away that matches their skills; some won’t. If you’re in the latter group, don’t get discouraged. Stay with the “not so perfect job for a while and work at it.

Read, Write, Participate, Attend

The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics publishes the research of your colleagues. Food and Nutrition Magazine provides practical solutions to the research. The editors at both publications are engaging and accessible and want to hear from you.Attend conferences to hear how that research is being used.

Make a Meal

Make a meal from scratch using healthy ingredients. Learn practical solutions you can pass onto your clients.

Empower Others 

By participating in community events, you show support for those people who also work to improve the health of others.

Think About the Laws

Express your views with state legislators. Support the Academy’s public policy work. This is what made state licensure and medical nutrition therapy laws possible, creating jobs and revenue for the RDN.

Get Fresh Air 

Take a break and go outside when you can. On weekends, pack a picnic and headboard nearby park.

Be There to Care

Come to work feeling inspired and give your best.

Remember This “First the Root Goes Down,Then the Plant Comes Up”.

Make yourself a good example. Walk the walk and talk the talk in preventing disease by eating and serving nutrient-dense foods.

Know Your Heritage 

The year 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Academy of the Nutrition and Dietetics.  Our profession is a crucial component in health care.

Laugh Every Chance You Get 

When you make mistakes, laugh at yourself!

Respect the Environment 

Buy local, prevent waste, live within your means, and support your work cafe.

Leave Work Behind 

Find a creative outlet where you can focus on something other than work’s worries. Try to carve out 30 minutes to yourself each day to recharge.

Make Others Feel Special 

Don’t forget to thank everyone who works to support our mission.

Help and Connect

Donate foods that you can’t use on your menus to hunger groups.

Be the Best You Can Within Your Style and Gifts

What matters in the long run is sticking with it and having the resilience to get back up when you get knocked down.