La Dolce Vita

Tarte Aux Pommes

 

Sweet short pastry dough

 

Apple filling

 2.5 apples

 1 oz butter (30 g)

 1 oz  sugar (30 g)

 1 oz  water (30 g)—this depends on the wetness of the apples

 vanilla

 cinnamon

 

3 apples, peeled and sliced thinly, short - wise

 

1.     Make dough and shape into a disk, chilling in fridge.  You are chilling as well as letting it rest.

2.     Peel, core and cube the first 2.5 apples.  Cook them in butter until soft along with water (if needed), sugar.  Add vanilla and cinnamon.  When they are fork tender, they are ready. Do not let burn! Let cool.  May have to put in fridge to speed this up.

3.     While this is cooling, peel and core other 3 apples.  Slice them the short way, thinly.

4.     Place cooled apple sugar mixture in the bottom of the tart crust.

5.     Arrange apples around the crust, overlapping.  Make a second circle, going the opposite way.  Put tiny pieces in the middle.  Dot with butter.

6.     Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, then turn to 325 and bake until done.  Brush with apricot glaze for shine if desired.

Tomato, Sausage, and Focaccia Soup

Serves 6

 

1/3 lb Italian-style sausage in their casings

1 C diced onion

½ C diced celery

½ small red pepper, seeded and diced

2 ½ lbs tomatoes, cut into pieces, or one can diced

1 C chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 t. minced fresh tarragon

2 t. minced fresh basil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

½ t fennel seeds, ground if possible

¾ t salt or to taste

½ small lemon

2 ½ Focaccia

Extra virgin olive oil

Grated Parmesan Cheese

 

1.     Puncture the sausage casings well.  Place them in a heavy bottom soup pan and add about ¼ inch of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium, simmering until the water has evaporated and the sausage begins to brown in its rendered fat.  Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and cook, stirring often until soft. Remove the sausages and set aside. Add the garlic and cook until everything has absorbed the flavor of the sausages, about 4 min more. 

2.     2. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and they release a lot of juice.  Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, tarragon, basil, and salt.  Squeeze the lemon through a strainer into the soup, discard the seeds, and add the half of lemon to the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes then discard the lemon.

3.     Split the sausage lengthwise, cut into bite size pieces, and add back to the soup. 

4.     Cut the focaccia into 1-inch cubes and add to the soup. Simmer until well thickened, stirring to break up the pieces of bread. Drizzle each serving with a bit of olive oil and add Parmesan.

This soup can be prepared and refrigerated, up to two days ahead through step 4.  Warm and add the bread about 15 minutes before serving.

 

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