This is a little summer menu that looks complicated but it really isn’t. If you choose to make the tart, that will take a little more time. However, for a little weeknight or quick menu, you can leave that out and have a meal on the table within 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cup plus 1 TB sugar
1 egg
2 sticks of butter (one cold and one softened), plus 2 TB
10 eggs
6 lemons
1 pint of strawberries
1 jar of strawberry preserves (optional)
1 Cantaloupe
chili oil
2 crispy pieces of bacon (optional)
1 cucumber
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tsp light sesame oil
Black sesame seeds
8 oz pistachios, shelled
2 TB Dijon mustard
4 salmon filets (the kind that is cut across in thick filet strips)
1 head of cauliflower
dash of heavy cream
salt and pepper
Method – tart
In a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Cut up ONE stick of very cold butter and add it. Pulse until it looks like small peas. Beat the egg and add it. When you pulse it, it should come together into a shaggy dough. If it doesn’t add water a teaspoon at a time until it does. Take out the dough, form it into a disc and chill it for 30 minutes while you make the custard. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the dough and put in the tart pan. Put aluminum foil over the tart and fill the center with dry beans or rice and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.
In a heat-safe bowl, beat softened butter with 1 /12 cups of sugar until it is creamy. Add 5 large eggs and 4 egg yolks. Beating in one at a time. Zest and juice lemons. Add the zest and juice, mixing to combine. Heat 2 inches of water in a 2 qt saucepan to simmer. Place the bowl on top and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a custard. Don’t walk away from it, just keep stirring. When it starts to thicken, use a whisk, then remove from the heat. Don’t let it overcook or boil. This takes about ten minutes, or so. Allow it to cool.
Fill the tart with the custard. Chill. When ready to serve, slice the strawberries and add on top. Mix a couple of TB of preserves with a little water, if you like, to glaze the strawberries.
Method – soup
Peel and seed cantaloupe. Cut into small pieces and place in blender. Puree. Add a little water, if needed to make a soup consistency. Taste for sweetness and add a little sugar, if needed. Chill. Serve with a drizzle of chili oil (it’s hot!) and crumble a little bacon over, if using.
Method – fish
Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Add pistachios to food processor and pulse until they are well-broken up. Brush salmon with Dijon. Put the pistachios on a plate and dip the Dijon part of each filet in the pistachios. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes to desired doneness. (I like mine medium.)
Method – cucumber salad
Using a vegetable peeler, peel long wide strips from the cucumber. Don’t peel off the skin first. Combine in a bowl with 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Add 1 tsp of black sesame seeds. Toss. Chill until serving.
Method – cauliflower puree
Boil the tops of the cauliflower until they are fork-tender. Drain. Add to a food processor and buzz until pureed. Place in a bowl and stir in a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a dash of cream and couple of TB of butter. Stir to combine. Keep warm.
Serve the soup then plate the entree by adding some puree and put the salmon on top. Add the cucumber salad to the side.
