Cheese Board
Spring Green Salad with Sautéed Fava Beans and a Poached Egg
Tart aux Fraises (Strawberry Tart)
Putting Together a Cheese Board
No matter how many people I am serving, I usually try to put out a few different types of cheese, each with distinctly different textures and flavors, and usually from different parts of the world.
I typically start my cheese board with a good blue cheese - perhaps Gorgonzola Dolce from Italy or in this case since I am serving French Bistro food a slice of tangy Roquefort would be most appropriate. Blue cheeses pairs well with something sweet - a bit of local honey or honeycomb, sliced pear in the fall or fresh blackberries in the summer. I also love toasted or candied pecans with blue cheese.
Next, I like to include a more mild cheese to contrast with the pungent blue cheese and usually choose some type of goat cheese or a really mild Brie cheese. Goat cheese is wonderful with fresh and dried fruit and soft cheeses are usually best spread on a crisp crostini or mild flavored cracker.
For my third cheese I usually select some sort of hard or medium/hard cheese - perhaps salty Pecorino - a sheep's milk cheese from Italy, or Manchego - another Sheep's milk cheese, but from Spain, or Gruyere or Gouda... maybe an aged Jack cheese or good quality cheddar. It really depends on my mood. If you have a local cheese shop, I suggest shopping there, since they are usually more than generous in allowing you to taste samples so that you get exactly what you are looking for. Plus you can buy as little or as much cheese as you need.
Serving a successful cheese board is fairly easy - all you really need is: 2-3 good quality cheeses, some mild crackers that won't be overpowering in flavor, and a few pairings - some nuts, dried or fresh fruit... - all things you can usually find in your cupboard.
Finally, I always like to arrange my cheeses on a clean plate in as simple of a presentation as possible. Whether it is dinner for two or entertaining for a crowd, a cheese board is an easy and enjoyable way to start your meal. Of course, if you want to be really "French" you would enjoy your cheese course after your meal.
Spring Green Salad with Sautéed Fava Beans
and a Poached Egg
This simple bistro style salad is simple and delicious and would be wonderful with a few shavings of Parmesan cheese on top (if you haven’t already splurged with the cheese board).
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup fresh fava beans
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 6 cups spring greens (like arugula, mache, beet greens), washed
- 2 fresh eggs
- salt
- fresh ground pepper
Dressing
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced shallots
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of fresh ground pepper
- pinch of salt
Bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Add the fava beans and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until tender. Drain the beans and immediately place in a bowl of ice water. Drain again. In a small sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium/low heat. Add the diced shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat until caramelized, about 5-6 minutes. Add the fava beans and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat until you are ready to serve.
To make the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, shallots mustard and balsamic vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and add the salt and pepper. Toss the greens with dressing.
Bring a small pot of water to a simmer (not a boil). Crack each egg into its own small bowl. Stir once with a spoon and gently add the first raw egg to the water. Add the second egg immediately. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, then remove the first egg with a slotted spoon and place atop the salad greens. Place the second egg atop the second salad. Divide the sautéed fava beans amongst the two salads and serve immediately.
Tarte aux Fraises
A classic French dessert.
Makes 1 tart.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
Tart Dough
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Custard
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
To make the tart dough, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl fitted for an electric mixer. Cream together on medium/high speed until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Add the yolk and mix until combined. Add the flour and gently mix together on low speed until just combined. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and form into a round disk, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
To bake the tart, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 inch tart pan with butter or use an ungreased nonstick tart pan (preferably one with a removable bottom).
On a lightly floured cold work surface use a rolling pin to roll the dough out about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick. Start rolling from the center working your way outward, constantly moving the dough around the work surface, making sure that it doesn’t stick. Use more flour as needed, but try to use the flour sparingly. To transfer the dough to the tart pan, lightly roll the dough around the rolling pin; then unroll the dough out, over the pan. Working quickly, press the dough evenly into the tart shell. Freeze the tart shell until the dough is chilled and firm, about 30 minutes; then bake until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let the tart shell cool in its pan for 2 minutes; then carefully, using hot pad holders, place your hand on the bottom of the tart to release the sides of the tart pan; then use a spatula to transfer the tart off of the bottom of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the custard, whisk together the cornstarch, half of the sugar, and the salt in a medium-size bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together the two eggs. Set both aside.
Over medium heat, bring the milk, remaining sugar, and vanilla bean paste just to a simmer, being careful not to scorch the milk. When the milk is simmering, add the eggs to the cornstarch mixture and whisk together. While whisking, slowly pour a few tablespoons of the hot milk into the egg/cornstarch mixture. Continue to whisk and pour in a few more tablespoons of the hot milk. Return the pot with remaining milk back to the stove and slowly pour the egg/cornstarch mixture into the milk, while whisking.
Use a wood spoon to stir the mixture over low/medium heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter. Transfer the pudding into a heat proof container, cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (If the custard is lumpy, strain though a sieve.)
When you are ready to assemble the tart combine the apricot jam with a ¼ cup or so of water in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until it is warm.
To assemble the tart, place the tart shell on a large plate. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the custard over the tart shell. (The custard should come up to the top of the tart shell’s edge.) Top the custard with the fresh strawberry slices working from the outside of the tart to the inside. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the warm thinned apricot jam over the strawberry slices. Refrigerate the tart until ready to serve. It is best to eat this tart the day it is made.
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