Ina First Fridays: Stilton Walnut Crackers

Welcome once again to Ina Garten First Fridays...this month it's appetizers. It was difficult to choose, as Ina does such a great job with nibbles for cocktail parties! These little gems are are the perfect hors d'oeuvre....not heavy enough to ruin your appetite, portable and you can freeze the dough, then slice and bake when you need them. You'll find them somewhat strong of Stilton, so you have to be a Stilton-lover, but when I serve them, I get raves.
I do love cocktail crackers......have you ever tried Ina's Parmesan Thyme Crackers? A bit tamer than these, but you get the idea.

Stilton Walnut Crackers
Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? by Ina Garten, Copyright 2010 

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
8 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled (about 12 ounces with rind), at room temperature 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons kosher salt 
1 teaspoon freshly ground black  pepper 
1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and Stilton together for 1 minute, or until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix until it's in large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until combined. Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 12-inch long log. Brush the log completely with the egg wash. Spread the walnuts in a square on a cutting board and roll the log back and forth in the walnuts, pressing lightly, and distributing them evenly on the outside of the log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days. Cut the log in 3/8 inch pieces and bake on parchment paper for 20 to 22 minutes or until brown. Rotate once during baking.

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Ina Fridays participants:

Alyce from moretimeatthetable.blogspot.com 

Mireya from myhealthyeatinghabits.com

Nancy from mypicadillo.com  

Veronica from mycatholickitchen.com

Linda from There and Back Again 

Chaya from bizzybakes.blogspot.com

Ansh from spiceroots.com  

Martha from simple-nourished-living.com
Minnie from TheLady8home.com

Bhavna from justagirlfromaamchimumbai.com/ 

B. from The Rocky MountainWoman 
Ria from Ria's Collection
Linda from Tumbleweed Contessa
Peggy from Pantry Revisited

Summer Tomato Tart

I used the last few sheets of my leftover phyllo for this lovely supper. Jamie Oliver's exact name for this is Late Summer Tart. Well, it's not exactly late summer, but I made it just the same. The heirloom tomatoes give the top of the tart color and be sure to use a nicely sharp cheddar or this dish will be bland. Jamie makes a lot of tart/quiche type dishes.....I posted an asparagus and potato tart not long ago too.

But with this one, take my advice and add some sauteed sliced shallots; such a nice light flavor and it seems to work with this tart well. Phyllo is so much more forgiving than pie crust and I love the way it gives tarts a light rustic look. 

Jamie Oliver's Late Summer Tart

Ingredients:

3/4 pound ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
sea salt 
freshly ground black pepper 
2 large eggs 
scant 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
generous 2/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 cup butter, melted
phyllo pastry 
small bunch fresh marjoram or oregano (I used oregano)
olive oil 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the sliced tomatoes in a colander and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Adding salt to them will bring out their flavour and also reduce the amount of moisture that seeps into the tart. 

 Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the cream, grated cheese and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix and set aside. 

 Take a large tart pan with a removable bottom (either a 10” round tin, or roughly 8” x 11” rectangular tin) and brush it with a little of the melted butter. Cover the tray with a layer of phyllo, overlapping the sheets so there are no gaps. Brush this base layer with more of the butter and repeat 4 or 5 times until you have a sturdy base for the filling. 

 Pour the cream mixture onto the phyllo base and make sure it's evenly spread over it. Lay your tomatoes on top, then season it again. 

Pick the leaves from the herb sprigs and toss them in a little olive oil to lightly coat them. Sprinkle these over the tart, then place it on the bottom shelf of the hot oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Leave to cool for a few minutes then serve with a simple, fresh salad. 

Coffee and Cocoa Granita

Are you making a lot of granitas this summer? There couldn't be a simpler dessert, icy and refreshing and kids love it. I made a fresh strawberry one last week....just added a bit of lemon to the pureed strawberries. It was divine.
But now this granita, unearthed in the new Donna Hay Issue (which contains, interestingly, all black and white recipes) definitely comes down on the dark side. I don't do this very often, but since you've already noticed I ramble on about the photography in Donna Hay, they've outdone themselves on this one, so I've posted it. Their food stylists took such care with this simple dessert. I love that everything is dark except that nifty grey container and aren't the textures marvelous? Those flakes of granita spilled over....every detail results in a feast for the eyes.

                                                                                 (Photo from Donna Hay Magazine, Issue #70)



And then there's mine. Well. What can I say? Bright light and straight forward. I'm NOT going to be hired by Donna Hay anytime soon. But who cares? The granita was fabulous.

Coffee and Cocoa Granita
Donna Hay, Black & White Issue, #70

Ingredients:
1/2 cup espresso
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
3 cups water

Method:
Place all ingredients in a saucepan, whisk until sugar is dissolved and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in a high-sided metal container and freeze until mixture is frozen, stirring edges into center every 20 to 30 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours. Using fork, scrape granita into flaky crystals. Serve or cover tightly to freeze for later.