Fruit Tart

There comes a time as a cook when you just know how to make things.  Nobody has to tell you the dish's contents, you don't have to consult a recipe book, and the dish comes out clearly delicious without much trying.  This fruit tart is one of those recipes.

Perhaps my Fruit Tart recipe comes from two years of pining at the bakery section of La Madeleine, the country French Cafe that's popping up all over America.  La Madeleine has these insanely tasty fruit tarts that are refreshing and light: tons of fruit loaded in a pastry shell and sitting on top of a cup or two of custard, or pudding.  YUM.

If you were to buy the actual pie-size fruit tart from La Madeleine, you'd spend around $15-20.  Making this dish at home (which looks exactly the same and tastes pretty amazing), you'll spend under $10.

Make this dish for a summer dinner--it's a perfect light, and pretty dessert--or just for yourself...for dinner.

Fruit Tart
Like many recipes, two components of this fruit tart can be adjusted to your preference: the flavor of the pudding, or the fruit being used.  I always go for a French Vanilla Pudding, and a combination of blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, but chocolate pudding, or other fruits (i.e., kiwi) work great here too.


Ingredients:
* 1 large pie crust, frozen, or pre-made with the All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe
* 1 regular size pudding instant mix box
* 3 cups milk (for pudding mix; NOTE: milk contents may vary depending on the instructions listed on the back of the pudding mix box.  My recipe calls for 3 cups milk for 1 box, but yours may call for a little more or less)
* 2-3 cups mixed berries/fruit

1.) Begin by using a pre-made pie crust and baking it in the oven until done.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

2.) Prepare the pudding mix.  Measure out your milk.

3.) Add to dry instant pudding mix in Kitchenaid (or similar stand-alone mixer).

4.) Mix on medium for 3-5 minutes, or until pudding starts to form/set.

5.) Refrigerate pudding for 30 minutes.  Then, pour pudding mix into pie shell.  Smooth to level pudding distribution.

6.) Prepare the mixed berries by washing all of them.  Add your first berries.  For me, these were the blackberries.

7.) Add your blueberries.

8.) Remove the tops of the strawberries.

9.) Quarter your strawberries.

10.) Add the strawberries to the pie.

11.) Refrigerate until time to eat.  Serve with dessert wine.  Makes 6-8 servings.


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Asparagus & Prosciutto Quiche

My friend Lydia LOVES quiche.  If she could eat something everyday, I'm pretty sure it would be quiche.  Ham quiche.  Spinach Quiche.  Or this recipe, her new favorite, Prosciutto and Asparagus Quiche. 

This asparagus and ham quiche is as flavorful as it is attractive: sauteed mixed greens with thinly sliced quality ham makes for a satisfying veggie-ham crunch.  Stir in your favorite seasonings (pepper, thyme, etc.) and you've got a breakfast dish that is Clearly Delicious.

Asparagus and Ham Quiche
This recipe comes from Elise Bauer and can be found here. The original calls for regular ham over prosciutto, and suggests you use Elise's all butter crust recipe (you can find it here and on Elise's blog).  However, when in a hurry, feel free to buy one of those pre-made pie crusts and just prepare the filling.  It's kind of like cheating...kind of...but makes the below process so much faster!

Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 bunch asparagus (about 10 ounces), woody stems removed
* 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
* 1/2 pound ham, or prosciutto thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup cream
* 1/2 cup milk
* 3 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
* black pepper, freshly grated, to taste
* 1 teaspoon thyme
* 1 pie crust (premade, or all butter pie crust recipe here)

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Line pie dish with pastry dough and prepare ingredients (chop shallots, asparagus, and ham).  Don't forget to remove the asparagus's woody ends.

2.) Warm olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes and add asparagus, cooking for an additional 10 minutes, or until tender.

3.) Beat 3 eggs and combine with 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk.  Whisk together to fully integrate.

4.) Add asparagus, shallots, ham, and seasonings to egg/quiche mixture.  Once fully integrated, pour into your waiting pie crust dish.

5.) Put in oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean (just like when you're baking a cake).

6.) Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit for five minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

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