Tarte aux Pommes

That would be French Apple Tart!  And it is my mom's recipe and the first tart I've ever made.  It is simple and simply delicious.  She still makes it quite often and it is one that I enjoying sharing once in a while.  The picture is of the last one I baked in a rectangular shape in a large and old jelly roll pan.  I arranged the apple slices in the diagonal, like my mom taught me but you can also make rows of apple slices instead.  I always have to line the pan with parchment paper because my pan is very old.  Probably the first one I bought when I moved to the states 22 years ago but it still makes the best pie crust because it is dark and thin.  It attracts the heat better than a regular metal or glass pan and therefore makes the crust brown and flaky.  The recipe calls for an 11-inch tart pan.  To make it in a large jelly roll or baking sheet like on the picture just double the recipe.  You'll even have a little extra dough and apples to make a small free-form tart that you can just enjoy on your own...

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

4 to 5 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup apricot jam

            In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt.  Pulse until the mixture forms pea-size pieces.  With the machine running, add the water.  Transfer the mixture to a tea towel and press into a disk.

            Lightly flour the towel and roll the dough into an 11-inch circle.  Transfer and press into a 10-inch tart pan.  Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and refrigerate.

            (May be made the day before.)

            Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Arrange the apple slices into 2 or 3 concentric circles, slightly overlapping each other.  Sprinkle with the 1 ½ tablespoons sugar and vanilla extract and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

            Warm the apricot jam in the microwave and brush onto the hot tart coming out of the oven.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

 Serves 6

Oven-dried Tomatoes

We've had beautiful warm days this winter in Southern California!  It's been so nice to enjoy the beach and the warm sun.  We are so fortunate.  Except today... then again, we are not shoveling snow or anything of that nature... But I thought I would bring a little bit of warmth and sunshine to your plate and these oven-dried tomatoes are perfect!  First of all, you're going to have the oven on for a while so that should warm up your kitchen. And then, these delicious morsels of tomatoes will bring a colorful and summery addition to your plate.  I pair them on a green salad with goat cheese or Feta and Kalamata olives and you have a kiss of Provence right on your plate...

5 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/3-inch-thick

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and oregano)

Preheat the oven to 250ºF.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange the tomato slices on the prepared baking sheet.  Season with the sugar, salt, pepper and herbs.  Place in the oven and bake for about 2 ½ hours or until shriveled and dried. 

(May be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated.)