This accompanies the Spinach Ring

• 3 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 Small Cloves of Garlic, Minced
• 2 Shallots or Green onions, Finely Chopped
• 1/3 / Cup Butter
• Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Chives or Parsley

In a heavy skillet sauté garlic and shallots in the butter over low heat for 1 minute.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, shaking pan frequently until they are just heated through and slightly soft, but not mushy.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, chives or parsley,  serve at once.

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Just served this dish for a ‘pre Easter Sunday Buffet’ dinner at our house.  It got great reviews.  It served 13 with some leftovers.  There were several other side dishes, but I think this would have been enough to serve 10 easily.  I used 4 cups of frozen spinach, thawed with the moisture squeezed out.  I used a dish towel to do this—did not cook the spinach.  It didn’t come out of the ring mold easily and had to be pieced together. I put it on an oven proof dish and baked it about 30 minutes more.  After reading this, if you still want to try this dish, read on.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Milk, Scalded
• 4 1/2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Minced Onion
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 4 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
• 3/4  Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 3 Eggs, Well Beaten
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 3 3/4 Cups Well Drained  Spinach

Butter a 2 quart ring mold generously. Bring the milk to a boil with the butter.  Sauté the onions with a small amount of butter until transparent.  Scrape onions into a mixing bowl and add the parmesan cheese, flour, salt and nutmeg.  Mix well and add the beaten eggs.  In a thin stream, add the hot milk and the butter mixture, beating constantly.  Add the lemon juice and spinach, mix well.  Turn into the prepared mold and set in a pan of boiling water.  Place in lower third of preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour or until firm.  Remove from water and let set for 5 minutes.  Run knife around edge and reverse on a  warm platter.  Fill center with sautéed cherry tomatoes.  Serve immediately.

I made this early in the day and reheated before adding the cherry tomatoes.  See separate recipe for Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes.

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I brought this tart to our Book Club meeting and it got good reviews. (Like the book, “Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt, which was our selection of the month) First time ever working with puff pastry, I’m eager to try again. Easy. My niece, Allyn, brought this recipe to my attention: Thanks, Allyn!!

Ingredients:

Flour for the work surface and rolling pin

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by- 10 inch rectangle.  trim uneven edges.  Place pastry on a baking sheet ( use parchment paper).  With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2 intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere.  Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange the spears in a single layer over the Gruyere.  Alternate the ends and tips.  Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until spears are tender, 20-25 minutes.

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