small maize tarts

The corn that I have received in the organic basket was accumulating and with this recipe I got rid off about six cobs. I made these small maize tarts in a day and we ate them the next day, cold and accompanied by seasoned sour cream. To make the filling first remove the corn grains with a knife. Chop some onion-I used the purple ones because it was what I had, and sauté in somewhat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the corn and saute until it is cooked through. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper at your taste and a little of fresh milk cream. Do not let it become a wet filling. Add chopped fresh small basil leaves cut by hand and set aside. Make the dough. I used this recipe from Heidi Swanson, because I'm looking for ideas of what to do with a package of rye flour that I have stored. It became a very tasty dough. I liked it and I will repeat.

2/3 cup of rye flour
1 and 1/2 cups of wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
A little handful of dried rosemary
1 cup [16 tablespoons] of cold butter
1/3 cup of ice water or beer

Place the flours, dried rosemary and salt in the processor. Pulse. Place the diced cold butter and pulse several times until it gets crumbly. Add the ice water gradually and keep pulsing until it becomes a dough. Remove it from the processor, place it on a sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a circle and wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours. This dough can be frozen. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. I spread it between two sheets of plastic wrap, which works well for me. Line the tins with the dough. Cover the pastry base with foil or vegetable paper film, place weights on top [it can be the weight of marble or beans] and take to bake in a preheated oven at 375° F / 200° C. When the dough is lightly browned, remove it from the oven, place the filling of sautéed corn and return it to the oven for another ten minutes or until the cover gets lightly browned. Remove it from the oven, serve it hot or cold. I served accompanied by sour cream seasoned with salt, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil.

tomato sauce
[super simple]

It is the simplest sauce that exists and what I learned from an Italian friend. Blend many overripe organic tomatoes in a blender, with no water. I used tomatoes of several types and colors: yellows, reds and oranges. After that, pass through a fine sieve and set aside. In a robust pan, melt a bit of butter and lightly fry it with a bit of chopped onion. When the onion becomes soft, throw the tomato sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let it cook over low heat until it's reduced and get a very thick sauce. In the last minutes add a few of fresh basil leaves. Turn off the heat and let it rest for a minute. Serve with the pasta of your choice. I chose a cheese ravioli, and plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

The Farm School

There was news in the newspapers, TV and radio, because it was the first class to graduate from this farm course. I was invited there by one of the graduates. When I came back, I was changed a bit. We arrived late and because of our late lunch and the intense heat, we had no great desire to dine with the chickens before the ceremony. It was a dinner all prepared with produce from the garden that we could see from the tables, and showered with local wines. We focus on flavored waters, served in canning jars. I was drinking water, walking around and chatting with friends. When all were gone and the evening light was already at that point to turn a simple landscape in a magical setting, Uriel and I went alone make a stroll through gardens surrounded by walnut orchards. In the center of the small farm, noises coming from a chicken coop told us it was time to sleep because they are early risers. This farm school, in nearby Winters, is part of a larger project and that tends to grow further. While walking through the gardens, I was absolutely taken by the beauty of it all and thinking how much I would love to work in such a place. I know that working with the land is not for everyone and certainly should not be for me, but this visit made me rethink many things. And rethink is always the first step.