Hen and Tarts

The table this week features two tarts with fresh produce from the farmers market. I expect until the market closed is October, most menus will feature my purchases from the market.  Here is what is on Marilyn's Table this week.

Cornish Hen with Tapenade
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
Peach Tarte Tatin

It has been a long while since I had a Cornish hen.  When I saw them in the supermarket, I decided it was time.  I had a recipe that split the hen and roasted it flat in a pan.  I cut out the back bone and then pressed on the breast so it would break and lay flat in the pan.  The hen is sprayed with a bit of EVOO and tapenade is pressed under the skin before roasting.  A bit of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon and the hen was ready to roast.

While it was in the oven I prepared the tomato tart.  A sheet of puff pastry is defrosted and rolled out on a lightly flowered surface.  A salad plate is laid on top and with a sharp knife a circle is cut out, the bottom pricked and refrigerated on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Onions and garlic are sauteed in a pan with salt and pepper and a bit of white wine and fresh thyme leaves. When they are lightly browned they are removed from the heat.  The cookie sheet is removed from the oven, grated Parmesan is sprinkled over the bottom of the tart leaving about half an inch boarder. The onion mixture is put on top of the cheese.  Crumbled goat cheese is put on top of the onions.  Next comes a half inch slice of an heirloom tomato.  Shaved Parmesan is placed on top of the tomato.  the edges of the pastry are brought up over the sides of the mixture and the pastry is baked until the pastry is golden brown.  This was excellent and quite simple to put together.

There is enough of the puff pastry left to make the top for the peach tatin.  Peaches are sliced, tossed with sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Sugar and butter are placed in a cast iron skillet and cooked until the syrup bubbles.  Drain the peaches and arrange in a circle covering the bottom of the syrup is covered.  The pastry is rolled out and laid over the top of the peaches.  Make a few cut in the top to release the steam.  Bake until the pastry is browned and puffed.  At this point the tarte is inverted on a serving plate.  It looks very pretty, but the pastry gets a bit soggy so I would leave it in the pan and serve wedges of the pastry and spoon the peaches over the top.  Perhaps some ice cream?  I made a honey, lemon and chopped mint sauce to drizzle over the peaches. This too was an easy dessert and would work with most any seasonal fruit.

This was a mouth watering table and there was enough leftover for another evening meal.  Next week is a mystery.  I need to check out my cookbooks for something seasonal.  Stop back and see what appears.