One Box of Puff Pastry, Dinner and Dessert for Six

The holiday season is upon us and that means a lot of guests will be knocking at our doors...whether we expect them or not! It seems that my pantry and freezer is amply stocked during the last quarter of the year. Some years I've needed it and others, well, not so much.

I do enjoy having guests in my home. In fact, I wish I would host more often. For the most part every guest has been a joy to have over, but I have had a doozy or two as well.

And speaking of doozies, let me introduce you to "Guest". Guest arrived at my door two days early (unannounced.) I was very glad to see Guest but was somewhat irked that I had not been forewarned. The guest room still needed to be tidied, food needed to be bought and the house needed to be picked up. Believe it or not, Guest was offended that dinner was not piping hot out of the oven upon their arrival. We took Guest out to dinner and rather than asking me if they could sit by the window, they grabbed the hood of my jacket as I was sitting down and yanked me out of the booth. I was mortified, other diners had witnessed...strike one.

As days passed we had a great time enjoying each others company. I did however cringe at the sight of unflushed toilets and fingernails spit across my living room floor (strike two and three.) What was even worse, Guest did not have plans to leave. I simply was told, "Just tell me when you want me to go." How awkward is that??? Guest left a day earlier than expected (really not on good terms...OK, hubby coaxed Guest out), but we still talk every now and then.

Mmmmm...so I noticed I mentioned dirty toilets and fingernails spit upon a floor in a food blog. How appealing is that? Nevertheless I have two great recipes that will knock your guests socks off (invited and uninvited.) Frozen puff pastry is a staple in my freezer and with a box you can create a rustic tart and a steamy, comforting and inviting chicken pot pie.

Chicken Pot Pie

• One sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
  
• One 3-4 pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded into bite size pieces
  
• 9 oz. red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 5 T. unsalted butter
• 1 leek, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 6 oz. cremini mushrooms
• 5 T. flour
• 1 c. milk
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 2 T. thyme
• 2 T. parsley
  
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 T. heavy cream

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to turn golden, 4-5 minutes. Add leek, carrots, mushrooms, then cook 4-5 minutes more. Add flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Stir milk and chicken stock into pot; bring to a simmer. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2-3 minutes. Add chicken meat, thyme and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to a deep 10-inch glass pie dish. ***Steps 1 &2 can be made one day ahead; let cool completely, then cover pie dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream; set aside. Unfold thawed pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough to a 10-inch square. Cut out a steam vent in the center of the pastry using a small coolie cutter. Lay pastry over the pie dish, and press onto filling. Brush dough with egg wash, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Freeze until firm, 30 minutes.
4. Place pie dish on a rimmed cookie sheet; bake 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; continue baking until crust is puffed and golden brown and juices are bubbling, 15-20 minutes more. Let cool 5 minutes.
   

Rustic Apple Tart

• One sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
• Flour, for work surface
• 3 granny smith apples
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• pinch of each; cloves and nutmeg
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp. of heavy cream, set aside
• 2 T. unsalted butter, cubed
  
• 2 T. apple jelly

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pastry sheet to a 10-by-10-inch square. Trim 3/4 of an inch off the edge with a pizza cutter or sharp paring knife, creating strips for the tart shell. Transfer to a baking sheet; place in freezer. Peel, core, and slice apples 1/4 inch thick. Toss in a large bowl with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
2. Brush outer border of tart base with egg wash and adhere the trimmed strips to the tart. Place apples inside border, and dot with butter. Brush the exposed pastry border with egg wash. Bake until pastry is golden and apples are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, heat jelly with 1 tablespoon water until melted. Brush apples with glaze. Serve tart warm or at room temperature, cutting into pieces with a serrated knife

I'm Your Huckleberry (Crisp)

Before I moved to Idaho the extent of my huckleberry knowledge included Huckleberry Hound, Huckleberry Finn and the infamous Tombstone line "I'm your huckleberry." Growing up in the south the image of a blue dog with a southern drawl, a young boy setting afloat on the Mississippi or Val Kilmer's "Doc" (still looking rather handsome despite the tuberculosis) is what one would imagine before thinking of an actual berry. We know of and probably have picked blueberries and dewberries, but not huckleberries.

I came across the actual berry at the South East Idaho Farmers Market one crisp early autumn day. Amongst the mounds of potatoes, trailers of gourds, squash and pumpkins sat a tiny table displaying a mass of mason jars glistening with berries. It caught my attention. They resembled the blueberry but were darker and smaller. The taste was similar to a blueberry as well, but had a unique astringency to it. Intrigued, I bought a jar and ended up making this peach and huckleberry crisp.

Peach and Huckleberry Crisp
adapted from : Ina Garten

Ingredients nocoupons

• 4 to 5 ripe large peaches
  
• 1/2 orange, zested
• 1/2 c. plus 1/8 c. cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cups plus 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup huckleberries
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Filling

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10 inch round baking dish. Cut a small X just through the skin of the peaches.
  
• Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl.
  
• Add the orange zest, 1/8 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoons of flour. Toss well.
  
• Gently mix in the huckleberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
  
• If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

Crumb Topping

• Combine 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
  
• Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly.
  
• Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and huckleberries.
  
• Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and reheat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm.

Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Pies are much like their makers-each have their own personality. One can be sweet and simple or rich and decadent. Others can be spicy and good or just plain ol' nutty.

Lime pie with gingersnap crust welcomes summer with it's bright, fresh and tangy filling. The crust will have you yearning for an early change of season with its warm autumnal spiciness. The recipe itself is simple, quick and can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Eat it plain or serve it with sweetened whipped cream.

Bright and fresh, warm and inviting, the two create a flavor combination (or personality) as unique as any.

Lime Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Crust
1 1/2 c. gingersnap cookies crumbs
1/2 T. sugar
4 T. unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1/2 c. lime juice
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks

1. Preheat oven to 325F
   
2. Combine cookie crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter and combine until mixture resembles coarse sand or can hold its shape when squeezed together.
3. Press evenly into a glass pie plate and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on rack. Increase oven temperature to 350F.
   
4. Meanwhile, mix lime juice, condensed milk and egg yolks until smooth.
5. Pour into cooled pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool on rack.
6. Transfer to a refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.