Art Camp for Women

Delicious Decadent Dessert - Lemon Tarts!

Lemon Curd Ingredients:

6 oz.     Fresh lemon juice, strained
1 Tbs.   Fine lemon zest
9 oz.     Sugar
3 oz.     Butter
3 oz.     Heavy Cream
6 ea.     Eggs
            pinch of salt
Yield: 3 cups

Technique & Method:
1. Boil lemon juice, lemon zest, half of sugar, butter, salt and heavy cream in a sauce pan
2. Whisk eggs and remaining sugar in a bowl.
3. Temper hot lemon juice mixture into eggs.
4. Add mixture back into saucepan. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is very thick.
5. Immediately strain and stir over an ice bath to cool. Place plastic wrap directly on curd and continue to cool over ice or in the refrigerator
6. Can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen for a few months.
7. For Lemon Curd Tarts, fill fully baked and cooled tart shells with chilled lemon curd. Fill tart shell so about 1/8" - 1/4" of crust is showing depending on size of tart.

Variations:
Use lime juice in place of lemon juice. Grapefruit juice, passion fruit juice, blood orange juice and other high acid juices can replace the lemon juice, but you may need to add an additional egg in order to thicken properly.

Savory Heirloom Tomato Tart!

Savory Heirloom Tomato Tart
Another Art Camp favorite!

Savory Heirloom Tomato Tart

We served this dinner at fall camp. Both our chef, Lori Loschiavo, and our partner Lori (art journal Lori) graciously donated fresh organic vegetables from their gardens.

If you are not so lucky to have gardeners like our Loris in your life, it is worth a trip to your local Farmer's Market for in season Tomatoes and parsley, anytime after mid-summer.

Ingredients:

Pastry (enough for 2 tarts)
12 oz.      All-purpose flour
1 tsp.       Salt
6 oz         Unsalted butter, cold and cut into bits
5-8 Tbs.  Chilled water
2 tsp.      Vinegar

Filling:
1/4 C.     Dijon-style mustard
1/4 lb      Gruyere, coarsely grated
3 large     Firm tomatoes, peeled and sliced

Topping:
2 Tbs.        Fresh parsley
1 Tbs.        Fresh oregano or thyme, minced
1 tsp.        Garlic, minced
1/4 C.        Extra-virgin Olive oil

1. Place flour and salt in a bowl. Add butter and work quickly to blend until the mixture resembles small peas.
2. Add vinegar and 5 Tbs. water all at once, working together with your fingers. Add more water, 1/2 Tbs. at a time, until it begins to clump together. You can also do this in a food processor.
3. Form into 2 disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
4. Roll out the dough, place in a tart pan and chill again.
5. Spread the mustard in the bottom of the chilled shell and sprinkle Gruyere evenly over it.
6. Arrange the tomato slices, overlapping slightly, over the cheese.
7. Bake the tart in a preheated 400F degree oven for 40 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, stir together parsley, herbs and garlic. Sprinkle the tart with the herbs and oil and serve.

Our chef and her recipes come to us from the
Culinary School of the Rockies

 

Sauce for the Goose

Another Art Camp favorite:

Chocolate Raspberry Sauce

Goes great on everything from ice cream to toast!

Yield: 6 - 8oz. jars

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
1 package regular powdered fruit pectin
4 ½ cups crushed raspberries
4 tbs lemon juice
6 ¾ cups sugar
Prepare canning jars and lids.

In a large glass bowl mix cocoa powder and pectin, blend well.
In large stainless steel saucepan place raspberries and lemon juice.
Whisk in cocoa powder and pectin mixture until dissolved.
Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.
Add sugar all at once and return to a full boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and remove any foam.
Ladle sauce into hot jars, leaving about ¼ inch from top.
Wipe rims. Place on lids.
Place jars in boiling water and process for 10 minutes. Cool and store.

Pull out and serve on your next gloomy day!

Cool Crisp and Crazy Salad

Ingredients:

6 Cups of your favorite mixed baby salad greens
1 Cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Cup toasted walnuts*
1 Cup Craisins

Balsamic vinaigrette to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and dress with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. Makes 8 side salads or 3 full meal salads especially if you add some broiled chicken breast

* can substitute toasted pine nuts

Pavlova Summer Dessert

6 Egg Whites       
1 1/8 Cup Sugar

2 Tsp Cornstarch

1/4 Tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 Tsp Vanilla              

 

Preheat oven to 275

Beat egg whites, adding sugar a little at a time.  Part way through, add remaining ingredients.  Beat until soft white peaks form.

Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

Spoon mixture on to the parchment paper to cover an area about 8" round with about 2" high sides.  Smooth the top surface so it's level.

Cook in center of the oven for 1 hour.

Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in the oven to cool down slowly (about 4 hours or over night).

 

When ready to serve, decorate with freshly made whipped cream and fruit (blueberries, sliced strawberries, Kiwi, mandarin oranges, etc.)

 

Once covered with whipped cream and fruit, any leftover pavlova does not keep - so plan on a crowd to eat it all up at one sitting!