Dessert | Pear Tarts With Peach Glaze

Sorry! To anyone that reads this blog... I have been beyond busy. My life recently took a turn for the awesome and I am happy to report that I have an amazing new job that I love. Love! I've been waking up excited to go to the office since the day I started. Freelancing on top of quitting my previous job to start a new one the very next day - literally - has definitely put my blog on the back burner. Not by choice! I guess the excuse can be the holidays seeing as I haven't posted since Thanksgiving. I'm easing back in to it with a delightful and super easy pear tart recipe I saw on Taste Spotting recently.

PEAR TARTS WITH PEACH GLAZE

6 rectangular puff pastry sheets measuring roughly 3"x4"

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 pears, skin removed, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons peach jam
2 tablespoons water

1  |  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the pear slices in the lemon juice and sugar. Add more sugar if needed. Set aside.

2  |  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease the paper with butter. Place one pastry rectangle on the baking tray. With a sharp knife, lightly slice the tops - do not slice all the way through on the pastry sheet - about 1/2" away from the four edges, creating a kind of 'frame' on the pastry. Brush the insides of the frame with the butter: the space where you will be placing the nectarine slices.

3  |  Arrange the slices on top. Repeat with the remaining pastry rectangles or until your pear slices have been used up. Brush the sides of the pastries with the egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

4  |  While the tarts are baking, prepare the glaze by bringing the jam and water to a boil. Run the mixture through a sieve and allow to cool. When the tarts are out of the oven, lightly brush the tops of the pears with the glaze.

Dish | BBQ Peach Salad with Arugula & Goat Cheese

I was torn between doing a restaurant rating and/or a dish. I went to Starbelly the other night for dinner - one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the city - and they never cease to amaze me! I don't want to say too much about Starbelly as this is not a rating (5 stars hands-down!) but I had a salad with my dinner that I just had to try and duplicate. This is my attempt at recreating their incredible BBQ Peach Salad.

BBQ PEACH SALAD WITH ARUGULA & GOAT CHEESE  |  Recipe inspired by Starbelly

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium ripe peaches, halved, pitted and cut into 8 wedges per peach
2 medium ripe avocados, halved, pitted and cut into cubes or wedges
6 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1  |  Prepare grill to medium-high heat. For the dressing whisk together balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and salt, then add in olive oil until emulsified.

2  |  Place peaches on grill and cook 3-5 minutes per side or until grill marks appear. In the meantime, rinse baby arugula and pat dry with paper towels.

3  |  For salad; place arugula in a large bowl and toss with dressing until fully coated. Add goat cheese crumbles, grilled peaches, and avocado slices. Toss lightly and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Dish | Kebabs with Cilantro-Lime Marinade

We had a BBQ at the house the other night. It was a great bunch of friends, a whole lot of wine, and way too many kebabs! Those who came early got a taste of the sirloin kebabs which I unfortunately did not photograph. I also made my new favorite dish of the summer... Roasted Corn with Manchego & Lime. It's so ridiculously delicious and really complimented the marinade I used on the kebabs. It was an all around success considering we used a propane camping grill on the back deck of our 3rd story flat with little to no light and a good 10 people to feed.

CILANTRO-LIME MARINADE

2/3 cup lime juice, from about 6 limes
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons ginger
1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes

1  |  Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl.

KEBABS  |  Recipe inspired by Bon Appétit August 2005

2 pounds chicken, cut into  1 1/2-inch cubes
2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
6 plum tomatoes, quartered
2 large peaches with skin, halved, pitted, quartered and cut into 8 sections
24 pearl onions, peeled
2 large red bell peppers, seeded, cut into squares
24 cremini (brown) mushrooms
2 medium zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1  |  Place chicken and steak in separate medium glass bowls. Add 3/4 cup marinade to each and toss until coated. Chill for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.You can use left over marinade for basting.

2  |  Alternate chicken cubes, tomato halves, peach wedges, and pearl onions on skewers. Alternate steak cubes, bell pepper squares, mushrooms, and zucchini rounds on skewers.

3  |  Prepare barbecue and set at medium-high heat. Grill kebabs until slightly charred and cooked as desired, turning occasionally and basting with remaining marinade, about 8 minutes for chicken and 10 minutes for steak. Transfer kebabs to platter. 

Dish | Peach, Prosciutto & Ricotta Crostini

This particular snack feels Italian in nature - mixing savory and sweet - but instead of the classic melon consider using peaches! It's simple and delicious and makes a perfect appetizer or small lunch for one. Knowing me, I'm probably going to make this 2 to 3 more times while Ryan is in Europe.

PEACH, PROSCIUTTO & RICOTTA CROSTINI  |  Recipe inspired by Bon Appétit June 2011

12 slices ciabatta bread
1 ripe peach
1 tablespoon fresh ricotta (preferably sheep's milk)
Freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices of prosciutto
Honey

1  |  Grill bread slices.

2  |  Halve, pit, and thinly slice peach. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ricotta onto each toast and sprinkle with ground pepper. Tear prosciutto into feathery pieces and drape a few slices over ricotta on each. Drizzle each with honey and top with 2 peach slices.