Chocolate, Hazelnut & Salted Caramel Tart

If you come to my house for dinner and you ask the inevitable, 'what can I bring'— I will either say nothing (I like all my food to match) or I'll say dessert. I am definitely a pinch-hitter when it come to anything sweet— I know exactly what to do with a pile of cheese or green beans but a pile of pastry dough tends to make me break out in hives. Rachel Allen's Favorite Food At Home was a dessert game changer— now I'm a pinch hitter with a kick ass tart up my sleeve.

Hazelnut, Chocolate & Salted Caramel Tart(adapted from Rachel Allen's Favorite Food At Home)

Pastry Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
9 tbsp butter, diced and softened
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Hazelnut Salted Caramel
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp spiced rum
5 ounces hazelnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp Maldon sea salt

Chocolate Ganache
3/4 cup cream
7 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease or butter your tart pan. Place the flour, butter and powdered sugar in a food processor. Process for a few seconds, then add the beaten egg and continue processing. Add the water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough just comes together. Flatten out the ball of dough into a thickness to about 1 1/4 inches, wrap in plastic and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the pastry from fridge and place the pastry between two sheets of plastic. Using a rolling-pin, roll it out until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Removing the top layer of the plastic wrap. place the pastry upside-down (plastic facing up) in the greased or buttered tart pan. Press into the edges and using your thumbs, 'cut' the top of the pastry on the edge of the tart pan. Remove the plastic and place in freezer for 10 - 15 minutes.

Blind bake the pastry dough for about 15 minutes or until the pastry feels dry. Remove from oven and set aside.

Place the butter, cream, rum and brown sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 - 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove the heat and add the hazelnuts and allow to cool. Spread evenly over the cooked tart shell, sprinkle the salt over the caramel/hazelnut mixture and set aside.

Place the cream in a saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate immediately, stirring until the chocolate is thoroughly combined with the cream. Pour over the hazelnut caramel in the pastry shell.

Place the tart in the fridge until the chocolate ganche has set. If you are keeping it in the fridge, remove from the fridge a few hours before serving and let come back to room temperature.

Phyllis's Eggs & Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Salad

Dana and Kathy have a sassy and very spunky duck named Phyllis— a quacking force to be reckoned with. I'm pretty sure she has a touch of PTSD because a bobcat filled his belly with her fellow duck companions last year and as the lone survivor, the quacking is her way of letting that bobcat know she's still standing. She celebrates everyday with a chorus of quack, quack, quacking and now that she has three new duck pals to boss around, she's happy (and laying eggs).

When Kathy came over for dinner and handed me a container full of duck eggs, I was so happy and thankful Phyllis out-foxed the bobcat. Duck eggs have the most lovely, rick yolk and that means two things: poached eggs or hollandaise sauce. Since I had a quart of Julie and Charly's maple syrup and a package of prosciutto in the fridge, I settled on a salad topped with a poached egg and prosciutto wrapped asparagus bundles with a maple bacon vinaigrette. I've always loved that old school spinach salad with a hard-boiled egg and warm bacon dressing and this version was an homage to that salty and egg-y salad.

I've mentioned these egg poaching cups (link here) before but they have changed my life— I'm guaranteed a beautifully runny yolk every time (which definitely was not the case when I was trying to poach them the old-fashioned way).

Poached Duck Egg on a Salad with Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles & a Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

Salad Dressing
5 strips bacon, chopped
3 tbsp real maple syrup
5 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp shallot, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients
1 large bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed
5 - 7 pieces of prosciutto (depending on how many bundles you end up with)
12 ounces spinach or lettuce
4 duck eggs, poached
1 Vidalia onion, sliced
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
Put bacon in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat. Cook until bacon is golden brown and remove pan from heat. Transfer bacon to a paper towel, reserving bacon drippings. Reserve 4 tbsp of drippings in the pan. Whisk maple syrup, vinegar, shallot and honey into the drippings. Return the pan to medium heat, bring vinaigrette to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard and olive oil until incorporated and then stir in bacon pieces. Transfer dressing to a bowl and set aside.

Place 2 tbsp of oil in a large sauté pan and add the sliced onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap one piece of prosciutto around 3 - 5 pieces of asparagus and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over the bundles, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in oven. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp and the asparagus is softened. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Divide the salad greens between four plates, place the onions, asparagus bundles and poached eggs on top. Spoon the warm bacon vinaigrette over the top and serve immediately.

Divide the salad greens between four plates, place the onions, asparagus bundles and poached eggs on top. Spoon the warm bacon vinaigrette over the top and serve immediately.

Bears In Trees

Charlie and I were on our way to Burke's house in early May (after our last snow storm) when Charlie said he thought he saw a bear in a tree. We turned around and sure enough, there was a black fur ball nestled in the crook of the tree, sound asleep. I dropped Charlie off at Burke's, grabbed my camera and went back to visit the bear and get a few photos. I hiked to the other side of the ravine and waited, and waited, and waited. That bear was in a deep slumber and my requests for a photo opportunity were ignored. During my hour-long vigil, I started to wonder if the bear was sick, needed rescuing or worse, dead in the tree. Give me enough time and I will conjure up a worst scenario that will knock your socks off.

I'm the first to admit I have a tendency to attempt to rescue any animal I think may need assistance (whether the animal actually wants my help, or not). Case in point— the time one of the dogs unearthed a rabbit nest full of babies and I thought I could be the rabbit mama until they were old enough to fend for themselves. I knew enough to wait and see if their real rabbit mama showed up but after two days, it wasn't looking good. I looked on the internet, avoiding all websites that recommended leaving well enough alone, and found some info about feeding the babies goat's milk with an eyedropper. I called my friend Jill who had some frozen goat's milk (it's still in my freezer) and ran up to her house to get the supplies to save the babies. I returned home, washed my hands and the eyedropper, put a bunch of soft rags in a box, warmed the milk and went to the nest to start my newest mothering role but it was empty— no bunnies or bunny parts to be seen. I'm sticking with the 'mama rabbit re-located her babies to save them from my well-meaning ministrations' story— coyotes don't eat during the day, right?

Talk about an empty nest syndrome, I thought about those little bunnies for days and wondered what I should have done differently. After careful reflection, I decided this lesson was about leaving well enough alone and trusting everything will be as it should be— without my help. Enter the sleeping bear in the tree. I remembered my baby rabbit lesson but decided it probably wasn't a cross-species lesson and this bear might need my help. I called the DNR and spoke to a nice woman who assured me the bear most likely went back into a mini hibernation because of the late season snowfall. Sounded plausible enough but after two days of checking on the bear, I had convinced myself he was injured, couldn't get down and might be hungry. This is where Jill comes in again (she must be my karmic wild animal rescue food supplier), she had a couple of fish skins lying around— maybe a little fishy snack might be a nice way to get the bear out of the tree?

I placed the fish skin near the tree, told the bear there was a snack waiting if he decided to get out of the tree and went home. Remember what I mentioned earlier about my lightening quick worst case scenario development skills? Well, I worried the bear would smell the fish and in his sleep-addled brain, fall out the tree. Thereby making my good intentions the sole cause of his injury or demise. I hopped back into the car, got to the tree just in time to see an enormous raven flying away with the entire pile of fish skins. At that point, I surrendered. It was obvious nature was telling me to back off, go home and stop trying to feed the bunnies and bears. A couple of days later, it warmed up and the bear was out of the tree. He was just waiting for the right time to wake up and because I don't speak bear, he had no way to tell me. But he visited today and that counts for a lot in my book.

Meghan was at the pond and saw him walk down into our ravine, get a drink from the stream and head down the driveway. Something made him turn around and he started towards our house. Ted asked him what he was doing and he answered the question by climbing the nearest tree and watching us. We watched him (from the house) for a couple of hours and when we returned home from Jack's award ceremony, he was gone. I laid some tobacco at the base of the tree and said a prayer of thanks for having such an honored guest in our yard for the afternoon. Lesson # 3,227— sometimes bears will show up all on their own, without my help.

An April Afternoon In Mineral Point

Jack's campus tour was in April and we decided a good old-fashioned family road-trip was in order. We packed everyone, and all their stuff, in the car and drove six hours south to Madison. Friday morning, Ted and Jack headed into Madison and Kelly, the kids and I headed to Mineral Point, an old mining town and the birthplace of the Badger State nickname. The 'driftless' region of Southwestern Wisconsin was untouched by the glaciers that rolled through millions of years ago and that glacial detour left the minerals close to the surface and easily accessible. Some of the early miners lived in holes they burrowed in the ground that resembled badger holes and the name stuck. In the 1820's, the Cornish arrived and built the beautiful stone buildings that line the streets today— more picturesque than holes in the hills.

Most of the town was closed the day we visited, it was still early in the season, but the first shop we visited, Longbranch Gallery, was a treasure trove of beautiful and interesting artwork. The oil painting of Onions and Leeks by Lois Eakin caught my eye when we walked in the gallery— the warmth of the painting appealed to my color starved eyes.

The artist in residence at Longbranch Gallery, Tom Kelly, welcomed us into his studio to take photos and ask questions about his extraordinary collections. It was literally a feast for the eyes and I could have spent hours exploring the shelves, corners and cabinets. He was so gracious to the kids and they walked away from our 20 minute encounter with a new appreciation for the creative and artistic process. I can't wait to go back and visit this summer.

The stone buildings were beautifully preserved— it looked like a Cornish village (the grey skies added a special authentic touch).

Our last stop on our way to lunch was de la Pear, a textile and architectural salvage shop. Will and I just about fell over when we walked through the door into the salvage shop— it was a photographer's dream.

There was something about a room full of forgotten, although once useful or treasured, items that resonated with me. It was such a contrast to Tom's thoughtfully gathered collection but equally as beautiful.

I can add Mineral Point to my list of 'food firsts'— I ordered a pasty for lunch, when in Rome, right? We sat at the lunch counter of the Rooster Café, drank malts made with Schoep's ice cream and planned the next leg of our journey.

On our way to Hook's Cheese Company (they had fresh curds advertised— another 'food first' for us), we stopped at Shake Rag Alley, a non-profit school of arts and crafts.

According to the Shake Rag Alley website, 'there’s a local legend that miners’ wives used to shake a rag outside their doors to call their husbands mining the hillsides home for dinner, but that’s a bit fanciful. Truth is, in several mining towns, “Shake Rag” was the name of a poor residential area'. What was once a poor residential area is now a picturesque little campus for the arts, how cool is that?

Three Of My Favorite Food Groups

2010 Domaine du Grand Montmirail Gigondas Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

I think I've mentioned this before but I'll say it again— Gigondas (jhee gohn dahs) is one of my favorite wine words to say, second only to  Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (mon tae pul chee AH noh dah BRUTE so). Throw in a little Vielles Vignes and you might just feel un peu français, at the very least you'll be drinking a nice glass of wine. The Southern Rhone region is known for rich, warm and spicy blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre— it's my favorite region in France. According to the Rhone Report, the 2010 Montmirail Gigondas is 'loaded with classical aromas of wild herbs, pepper, spice, and leather, as well as copious amounts of licorice drenched bing cherry and blackberry styled fruits, this hits the palate with a full-bodied, decadent, and layered texture that coats the mouth. Despite all of the fruit, it has solid underlying structure and plenty of freshness. While no doubt superb now, it will be even better with a handful of years in the cellar, and shine for 10-12 years. 93 points'.

This 15-year-old cheddar was my first introduction to Fromagination in Madison. Bob and Kelly brought a hunk of this crystalline, smooth cheddar to Bayfield and I was hooked. I knew I had a seriously good reason to drive 6 hours south (Jack's going to school down there) but the idea of an entire store devoted to cheese sealed the deal. 15-year-old cheese and a 19-year-old freshman— I'm going to be spending some time in Madison.

I don't have much of sweet tooth, more of a cheese tooth, but these little chocolates gave that 15-year-old cheddar a serious run for its money. They are from a shop in Madison called Candinas (another reason to make the journey) and they were little nuggets of smooth, chocolatey goodness wrapped up in the most beautiful packaging I've seen.

Sassy Quiche

I'm back after a hiatus due to a pinched nerve in my neck and a numb right arm— I have a whole new appreciation for the phrase 'a pain in the neck', heating pads and Ben-Gay. I have to admit, I really missed taking pictures and writing about my dinners, dogs, waterfalls, photo safaris and all the other pieces that make up the mosaic of a Mary Dougherty day. The good news is it forced me to (kind of) clean up my hedonistic eating habits and I'm proud to say I throw back a quart of green smoothie every morning. And there's even more good news— before my nerves staged their insurrection in my neck, I made these beautiful little quiches with Sassy Nanny chevre and Northern Smokehaus pancetta. There's something about my red tartlet pans that makes my heart go pitter-pat (and it doesn't hurt there was pancetta and chevre involved).

I feel like I've catapulted myself over into 'I have a rolling-pin and I know how to use it' land every time I make my own shortcrust pastry, it's not as hard as I thought and nine times out of ten, it actually works out. When I find myself in 'what the hell am I supposed to do with this rolling pin' land, there is a package of Pillsbury pie crusts in the freezer that's perfectly acceptable and flaky. I used a recipe from Rachel Allen (recipe here) but use whatever recipe (or refrigerated pie crust) you feel comfortable with— it's really all about the filling, in my opinion.

Sassy Quiche

6 tartlet pans
3 tbsp butter, melted for the tartlet pans
1 batch of shortcrust pastry or a package of refrigerated pie crusts
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
3/4 pound of pancetta or bacon
1/2 cup of Parmesan, shredded
3/4 pound Sassy Nanny chevre
4 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sauté pan, cook the pancetta or bacon until crisp, remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan you cooked the pancetta, add the red onion and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside with the pancetta. Brush the interiors of the tartlet pans with butter and place rounds of shortcrust pastry in each pan. Press the dough firmly into the sides and bottom of each pan, sprinkle the parmesan over the bottom and set aside. Divide the chevre into 6 equal portions and add it, along with pancetta and onions, to each pan. Combine the eggs and cream, pour into each tartlet pan (until it's about a 1/4 inch from the top of the crust) and sprinkle the rosemary over each pan. Bake in the preheated 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until filling sets and top of quiche is lightly browned. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.