Wednesday, June 30, 2010

fruits of my labor

Blueberry Tart from my cookbook

Blueberries are in season here: cheap, plentiful and voluptuous. For us Philadelphians, they are a local fruit, grown "across the bridge" in New Jersey. Faced with a blueberry overload, I threw together the Berry Tart from my cookbook, with one small modification: I used blueberry jam for the glaze instead of apricot, creating a powerful, blueberry one-two punch. 


Pablo's "goatee" looks like a blueberry. 

This tart is very easy to make and presents nicely. It's a good recipe for "tart newbies" to attempt.



Buddha wanna muffin 

I also made the Blueberry-Cornmeal Muffins from Isa Moskowitz' Vegan With a Vengeance.  Love the crunch that the cornmeal imparts, contrasted against the melty blueberries.  Isa's now a vegan super-star chef, but I must say, her freshman cookbook is still one of my all-time favorites. I have tried just about every recipe in it, and they're all winners.


Seared Pineapple Wedges

Of course, fresh fruit is wonderful on its own, but grilling or searing fruit vastly extends its spectrum of flavors. When you grill or sear pineapple, for example, it creates a crispy-caramel edge and a musky mellowness. Other fruits that grill well include peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, and the more traditional pears and apples [Aside: I am on a self-imposed pear and apple hiatus until at least September]. You can enjoy the grilled/seared fruit simply as it is, or perk it up with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a drizzle of agave nectar. Better yet, if you're in one of those omnipotent, Iron Chef moods, you can deglaze the pan with a liquor that compliments the fruit's inherent flavors [For pineapple,  I might use coconut rum, bourbon, or Cointreau]. This is optional, but I find that if you "bread" the fruit in coarse brown sugar before grilling, it helps create a gooey, caramel-like glaze. 

17 comments:

Millie said...

MUY DELICIOSO!!!! ITS FINGER LICKN' GOOD!

http://nuestracena-vegancuisine.blogsppot.com

Chef Amber Shea said...

I've made those muffins too! Your blueberry tart looks delectable.

Carrie said...

Mmm - I love blueberries!!

The kitty goatee is so adorable!

Anonymous said...

Yum! I want that tart!

and the pineapple... yum...

Pamela said...

pablo gave me a good LOL.
Loved the seared pineapple... mmmmmmm. Need to try that!

Babette said...

Your tart looks amazing! It looks like there is cream in it.

Catherine Weber said...

I reach for "Vegan with a Vengeance" more often than not, too!

Eric said...

I love the kitty head popping up in the second picture :D

Natalie said...

facing a similar blueberry overload, I just pulled a batch of Blueberry Spelt muffins out of the oven, from Vegan Brunch. I thought about making the Cornmeal ones from VwaV and now I might have to do that tomorrow! I will save your delightful tart for a time I can wow my guests :)

T said...

I am so craving blueberries and they are so hard to find fresh here in Europe! That tart looks awesome.

And I am loving your cookbook more and more- every recipe I have tried has turned out ridiculously delicious. (That chickpea paprikash was truly a stroke of genius though.)

Amanda said...

I love the cat peeking out behind the tart! Thanks for the tip on breading in brown sugar - going to remember that one!! )

buffalodick said...

Blueberry anything is fine with me!

VEGGIE EN FOLIE said...

Buddha wanna muffin , OH, MIAM MIAM,
QU'EST CE QUE TON CHAT A VU DANS LES FLEURS?
TU ME CONTACTE QUAND TU VEUX, AS TU MON ADRESSE EMAIL?

Crystal said...

that pineapple blew my mind!

italandveganworld said...

Looks very ital!
Luv ur site!!
http://italandveganworld.com
Peace & Love

Jackie said...

The blueberry tart looks amazing.

I love grilled fruit like pineapple and banana when I have a cooked breakfast.

eatinqueens said...

wow fruit is a very important part of over life.I love mango very much.