A Tart Pretty Enough for a Song

This asparagus tart is just so pretty, I don't know what else to say, except to tell you that it is a combo of several recipes I found, with a dash of champagne vinegar that I thought of all by myself.

I have no idea if it tastes any good, because I am freezing it and reheating it on Sunday for Easter dinner. But you know what? I really don't care how it tastes, I am so in love with how it looks.(Addendum 4/17/06 - It was delicious. But next time I'll try freezing it uncooked.)

My daughter thought it was so beautiful that she sang it a song with her guitar. You see, Friday nights are chick-flick night, since Mr. TBTAM has a regular Friday night tennis game, so my daughters and I were watching The Wedding Singer while I was making the tart. We fell in love with the movie even though it is Adam Sandler and corny. After the movie was over, my daughter wanted to learn the chords and words to the song Adam sings to Drew about growing old together. So she went on the web and found them and was teaching herself the song when I called her in to the kitchen to see the tart. When she saw the tart, she decided it was so pretty that we had to sing to it, so she brought her guitar into the kitchen and we all sang the song to the tart. I think it will make it taste even better on Sunday.

Hey, if people can talk to their plants, we can sing to our food, okay?

Colorful Spring Asparagus Tart

Make a Pate Brise pie crust in a tart pan with a removable bottom, and bake it till just set and barely golden. (See instructions below.)

Peel and trim 1 lb young asparagus. Further tirm the ends of 16 spears to make 3-4 inch spears for arranging on the top of the pie. Cut the remainder of those spears, and the rest of the asparagus into 1 inch lengths. Cut 15 cherry tomatoes in half and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 12 inch saute pan. Slice 1 onion thin and saute over medium low heat till soft, about 7 minutes. Add asparagus and saute for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the asparagus are just tender. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp champagne vinegar about halfway through the saute, and just a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat to cool enough to handle.

Mix 3 eggs with 1 cup half and half, 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsely, 1 cup coarsely grated gruyere cheese, and a little salt and pepper.

Rmove the 1 spears and set aside. Spread remainder of asparagus and onion mixture into tart pan. Pour egg mixture over top. Arrange 16 spears on top like spokes on a wheel, pushing them ever so slightly into the egg mixture. Scatter the cherry tomatoes on top. Brush the edges of the crust with an egg wash.

Bake on a cookie sheet for 30-35 mintes, until golden and just set. You may want to cover the edges with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking time. Let cool slightly before serving. Can be made ahead and frozen, then reheated before serving.

Sing to Your Tart

If you want to sing to your tart too,
just click on the song title for the music
and sing along! (requires Real Player)




Grow Old With You (Click here for music)

I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
All I wann'a do is grow old with you.

I’ll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you

I’ll miss you
I’ll kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold

I’ll need you
I’ll feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control

(Music solo break)

So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed if you’ve had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you
____________________________

Pate Brise (from Pleasures of Cooking)
You won't find an easier crust to make or work with than this.

1 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
12 tbsps. unsalted butter
4 ½ tbsps. ice water

Process the flour, sugar, salt, and butter to the consistency of coarse meal, about 10 seconds.
Pour ice water through feed tube while processing. Stop motor as soon as dough begins to form a ball.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a disc about 1 inch thick.

Roll dough into a 15 inch circle and fit it into an 11 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick all over with a fork and refrigerate about 25 minutes or until ready to bake.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cover the shell completely with a round of aluminum foil and fill with 2 cups uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights. Bake 5 minutes more, or until golden. Let cool before filling.
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Special thanks to Jason E Weber, a theater student at Marietta, who created the song midi files and posted them on his web site.

Category: Food