Mixed Fruit Rustic Tart, Stuffed Tomatoes, Butternut Taco Soup

Blue-Raspberry Tart
I needed a dessert for Sunday Brunch With Mum, and the local megamart had raspberries for $.99 a box.  Hard to pass that one up!!  I had fresh blueberries to fill in between.  Had a single sheet of puff pastry in the freezer begging to be used, so that was the crust.

12 oz fresh Raspberries
1 cup fresh Blueberries
4 tsp Cornstarch
Raspberry Jam
2 tsp Lime zest
1 Tbsp fresh Lime Juice

Pre-heat the over to 400F, and thaw the crust to a workable state.  While that's going on:

Gently combine the berries and cornstarch plus the zest and lime juice.

Roll out the puff pastry on a baking sheet.  Dock the dough with a fork, leaving at least 1" all around the edge un-docked so it will puff as it bakes.

Soften the jam in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, then brush a thin layer on the crust.  Now transfer the berries to the crust and spread with a spatula, turning up the 1" edge and pinching corners to form a shallow dish shape.  Brush additional jam on top of the fruit.  You'll see that I used small skewers to hold the sides up in place while the pastry cooked.  Just be sure to remove them all before serving!

Bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is GB&D.  Rest a few minutes before slicing and serving.


Greek-style Stuffed Tomatoes
This recipe comes from the Forks Over Knives folks.  To make it more 'Greek-style", I've used Cavender'stm Greek spice blend

4 large Heirloom or Beefsteak Tomatoes
1 cup cooked Brown Rice
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/2 cup chopped herbs -- basil, celery greens, sage, parsley, etc.
1 cup chopped Onion
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp Oregano
1-1/2 tsp Cavender's
2 Tbsp Raisins (optional)
1/8 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Cook the rice with the Cavender's seasoning.  Slice the tops off the tomatoes, reserve, and hollow them out with a spoon, reserving the tomato "guts" also.

In a dry skillet toast the pine nuts a few minutes until browning and fragrant.  Reserve.  In the same skillet cook the onion, along with tomato guts, herbs and spices, and other ingredients.  Lastly, add the rice and cook until heated through.  Taste and re-season as needed.

Fill the tomato shells with the stuffing.  Place in a baking dish, and put the tomato tops back on.

Put any leftover stuffing in the dish, and add enough water to cover the bottom.  Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes, uncover and cook 10 minutes more.

Serve warm or cooled to room temperature.


Black Bean Butternut Taco Soup
I needed a quick soup for one of our "get home late" evenings.  I had the cooked up beans, and the squash and sundries on hand.  No special ingredients.

1 small to medium Butternut Squash -- peeled, seeded and cubed
1 Onion - chopped
2 sticks Celery, chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked Black Beans (about 2 cans)
1-2 Shallots - chopped
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup water
Taco Seasoning to taste
Tortillas to make tortilla chips

Saute the onion, celery and shallots in a splash of EVOO.   Nuke the squash for 6-8 minutes until soft but not mushy.

To the sauteéd veggies, add  the broth and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the beans, taco seasoning, and half the squash (reserve the other half for garnish).  Simmer the flavors together for about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup and return to the pot.  Adjust the seasoning as needed.

Serve with cubes of reserved squash and a dollop of sour cream or Icelandic yogurt.