flashback :: savory pancetta tart

I made this tart back in January -- I know it's not cold out, but I can reminisce -- peppery sauteed pancetta, caramelized onions, maybe a little thyme, and nutty gruyere, hugged by flaky pie crust. Yumm....

flashback: ricotta muffins

I think I made these back in January -- on one of my snowy days off. I was inspired by Smitten Kitten's ricotta-stuffed muffins, but kept mine sweet with honey and sugared almonds on the top.

Here are my muffins, all lined up -- I pop them halfway out so that the steam doesn't make the bottoms soggy as they cool.
A lone muffin waiting to be eaten...
While the layers in my muffins were much less defined than those of Smitten Kitten, they were incredibly moist!

fresh tomato bisque

This is absolutely my favorite soup to make (and eat!). It's delicious hot or cold -- so it's versatile for any season. I can't wait until my heirlooms are ready to pick, and I can make it again. It's a little labor-intensive, but so very worth it. As usual, I don't write official recipes, but will tell you about my method.

I quarter the tomatoes, slice some onions (shallots would be great here, too, but I use sweet onions), add some whole garlic cloves, and throw them into an oven with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper.
I roast them until the onions are soft...
Then I add chicken stock, puree everything with a stick blender, and strain it twice. The result -- a sweet, savory and silky bisque. Lovely by itself or with bread to sop it up -- you won't want to leave a drop. =)

Shiitake Ravi-bobi

I made this ravi-bobi (as my niece calls it) a while back with re-hydrated and minced shiitake mushrooms, parsley, garlic and parm. I used wonton wrappers as the dough, and topped each serving with what I call "liquid gold" -- eco olive oil that I carried back from Spain -- grated parm, and cracked peppercorns. It's hearty and light at the same time.