Cauliflower Chevre Tartlets With Candied Beets Recipes

CHEVRE TARTLETS WITH PROVENCAL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with the cooking spray. Press the wrappers into each mold and spray with a light coating again. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove the shells from the muffin tin and set aside to cool.
• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the peppers, onions, herbes de Provence, salt, pepper and cook over low heat for about 40 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Drain the oil that separates from the peppers.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.
• In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese with half the cream and the white pepper. Depending on how soft the goat cheese feels, mix in the remaining cream until the mixture is smooth.
• Take each wonton shell and spoon in about 1/2 teaspoon of the goat cheese mixture, enough to cover the base of the shell. Top with a teaspoon of the pepper mixture.
• Place the tartlets on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until warmed through.
• Serve immediately

ROASTED BEET SALAD WITH SPICY MAPLE PECANS AND CHRISSY'S FRESH CHèVRE

Steps:

• TO ROAST THE BEETS: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Set the beets in a roasting pan or ovenproof casserole in a single layer. Pour in the stock, wine, brown sugar, the 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, onion, ginger, salt, and the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or the casserole lid. Roast the beets until they are tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour (a sharp knife will pull out easily from the center of a beet). Transfer the beets with tongs to a clean cutting board to cool. Reserve 6 tablespoons of the beet braising liquid for the vinaigrette.
• Wearing clean rubber gloves to prevent red fingertips, if desired, cut off the beets' green "stubble" and skinny tails. Hold the beets under cool running water to loosen the skins, then slip off the skins with a little pressure from your fingers. Set the beets aside.
• TO MAKE THE PECANS: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease it with butter or cooking spray. In a frying pan set over medium heat, combine the 1 tablespoon olive oil, maple syrup, sugar, the 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir in the pecan halves. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the pecans, about 10 minutes. Pour the pecans onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly with a spoon. Let cool before breaking them apart.
• TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together the reserved 6 tablespoons beet braising liquid, lemon juice, white wine and balsamic vinegars, rosemary, mustard, salt, black pepper, and the 1/2 cup olive oil.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE SALAD: Cut the beets into bitesize pieces. Toss the beets with the salad greens in a large bowl. Divide the salad evenly among 8 salad plates. Cut the goat cheese into 8 slices and top each salad with a slice. Sprinkle with a few candied pecans and drizzle on the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
• Chrissy Omo's passion for goat cheese began at age sixteen, when her father's job took the family to Europe. It was love at first taste and Chrissy, whose pet goat had taken second place in a Future Farmers of America competition when she was fifteen, now embarked on a quest to learn to make the stuff. While still a high schooler she worked for two months at Pure Luck Farm and Dairy in Dripping Springs under its award-winning goat-cheese maker Amelia Sweethardt. "Mom wanted me to see what it was really like," says Chrissy.
• Mother, father, and daughter agreed to finance the cheese business with savings from Chrissy's college fund. They invested in a small herd of goats and created a dairy on their property. When Chrissy was a senior in high school, she began selling her cheese commercially. CKC Cheese (the initials stand for Chrissy and younger brothers Kenny and Conner) is a family-run operation. Chrissy's mom, Adriana, is an experienced entrepreneur who handles the finances. Mother and daughter often do the deliveries together, bringing her handcrafted cheeses to customers throughout the Hill Country, including the Fredericksburg farmers' market, as well as to specialty stores in Austin. Chrissy's brothers help out with milking and other chores, but "no one but me touches the cheese," she says.
• The goat herd has grown to more than 160 head, and Chrissy produces 300 to 400 pounds of cheese a week, from seasoned feta and baby caprino (a soft, Italian-style cheese that is aged for three weeks) to creamy fresh chèvre. Despite the expanded production, Chrissy continues to juggle her cheesemaking with schoolwork. She's on track to graduate with a degree in international business from Texas State University in San Marcos. "I love making cheese," she says. And I love eating it-especially when it comes from Chrissy's goats.
• You can roast the beets ahead and refrigerate them with the reserved beet juice in a covered container for up to 2 days. The pecans can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in a tightly covered container. Prepare the vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
• When you roast beets, purchase ones that are all about the same size. That way they will be done at the same time.

CHEVRE AND WALNUT TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a saucepan large enough to hold the figs in one layer, heat the port and dissolve the sugar. Set in the figs, cover with a round of parchment, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the figs, and boil the port down to sauce consistency. Set aside.
• Cut 4 (4-inch) rounds from the pastry. Lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lay a second baking sheet on top, and bake until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the chevre with a spoon, and stir through the cream until smooth. Stir through the rosemary, and season with pepper.
• When the pastry is golden, remove the top baking sheet. Spread the rounds with the cheese mixture. Halve the figs and arrange over the cheese, then scatter over the nuts, if using. Bake until the cheese is hot, about 5 minutes. Serve with rocket green, if using, and with a swirl of port syrup on the side.

SAUTEED SCALLOPS WITH CLEMENTINE SAUCE AND TOASTED BEETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the beets in a pan and roast in the oven until very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut beets into 1-inch long batonets, or a thick julienne.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the marmalade and coconut milk. Cook until reduced by half, it should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Finish the sauce by whisking in the butter, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
• In a saute pan, over high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and thyme and heat. Add the scallops to the oil and pan sear until golden brown on both sides.
• Place the beets on a plate and place 4 scallops on top. Cover the scallops with a thin, even layer of the sauce.

GLAZED BEETS

Steps:

• Drain beets, reserving 1/3 cup juice. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in beet juice and vinegar; cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Add beets and butter; heat through.