Sunday, August 31, 2014

Caramelized Shallot, Mushrooms and Garlic Scape Tart


I told you about how I discovered garlic 'scapes' this summer, and fell in love with them.  My sister did a very simple thing with them by throwing them on the barby with some mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, and they were OMG good. 
I decided to see if I could make my own Garlic Scapes.  

That is, I thought I would try to grow some Scapes.

I thought I should clarify that statement.  

So I took a bulb of garlic, and broke it into cloves and stuck them into a pot.
It was amazing how quickly green shoots appeared.  And they grew and grew and grew.

I decided to go ahead and harvest some for Tapas this month.   And then tried to figure out how to prepare them.  I used some up in my Danish Potato Salad, but decided against making this tart because it was OMG hot outside and I did not want to heat up the house with the oven, especially when I had a lot of people coming.
So....
I decided to make this tart for NPA this week.

Nothing like experimenting on friends, is there? 

I got a great deal on Shallots when I was in the 'big city' last week, and I knew I wanted to use them in something good.   So, I decided to use them with some mushrooms and the home grown 'scapes'. 

I caramelized the shallots in a good lot of coconut oil, made a shallot confit basically.

 I'll share that recipe later on.  Set them aside to cool.  I scooped up some of the shallots into a sieve and let the oil drain out.   I then took that oil, and put it back into a pan, added 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, and let them just cook a couple of minutes.  Set them aside to cool.   I added just a teensy, teensy dash of Tarragon here as well.   I wanted the barest hint of Tarragon, and it worked.




 
Went outside, picked, well cut the scapes, fresh.  Took them inside, and gave them a quick rinse, and patted them dry on a paper.  And did a quick slice and dice on them.
Took a puff pastry sheet out of the freezer. Actually, I took it out of the freezer in the morning, and let it thaw in the fridge for the day.

Very important to let it thaw before unrolling.  

Very.

 I always have one package in the freezer, just one of those things you gotta have on hand cause you never know just when you'll need it.
I preheated the oven to 400 deg.  Unfolded the pastry sheet and gave it a quick roll with the rolling pin.  I do that because I really hate the seams.  I then folded the sides up just a tad, to make a lip or edge. 
I placed the mushrooms on top of the puff pastry sheet, in a single layer, I then sprinkled the shallots on top, more or less evenly.   Then sprinkled them with the chopped garlic scapes and put them in the oven for about 30  minutes, just long enough for the pastry to brown and cook. 







I took the tart out, and dolloped some goat cheese on top, and let it seep into the shallots and scape.  











After it cooled a little I cut it into pieces and took it with me to NPA.
  Didn't take it long to get eaten either.   Of course I did taste test it before it left the house.
Someone has to do the quality control.
And this was so good.   You could taste the coconut, the hint of tarragon, the garlic 'scapes'.  The whole thing was magical.   I could have eaten the whole thing, but I restrained myself.    The majority of it did make it to NPA.  

As I said, I love to experiment on my friends.  

And luckily for me, they let me do so.
Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love to hear from my readers, so please feel free to drop me a note, let me know if you like something I made, it makes my day.