D e l i s i o u c i t y

Often times I wonder if I cook/bake food only because of the photographic opportunities they present. Maybe it’s not all true, because that same wonderment quickly gets brushed off because I do enjoy being in the kitchen. Does that happen to you? Does cooking and baking make you happy?

Well, although I admit the joy of being in the kitchen can be very short-lived, it’s more than compensated by the fact that this blog is a place I can document what I love to do. In a way, it’s  almost like writing history… with photos! I hope you have enjoyed being in this journey of ‘gastroventures’ with me for the past year or so. There is one obvious change that I made recently, and you might have noticed: I’ve changed this website’s tagline to ‘Food & Photography‘. I think it suits the whole ambition that became  a reality when I invested in my DSLR camera. It certainly encapsulates what I had inadvertently made into a hobby… well, two hobbies rather, namely baking and photography.

Clockwise: Limes in tart pan holes; Organic Goats’ Cheese, chopped thyme, lime rind,  diagonally-cut asparagus

Anyway, let’s talk about the recipe for the tarts in the photograph.. because that’s why we’re here! It is asparagus season in UK right now and these delicious stalks of greens pair very nicely with mushrooms. Here, the shiitake variety is used. These make very simple  starters and take no time at all. Except of course if you include the time taken in the treatment of the puff pastry (!) I would recommend that you buy the ready made rolled puff pastry from the freezer section of your local grocery store… because as exciting as making layers of flaky pastry is, it does take time and particularly cool hands and a cool counter (in which case, use a granite slab, and do it very early in the morning if you insist). Just roll the pastry, and use a 7.5” to 8” mousse ring or a round cookie cutter to make these cute tarts.

Shiitake and Asparagus Tarts
(adapted from Epicurious.com)

Ingredients

2 sheets of puff pastry
1/4 C unsalted butter
A handful of shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into strips
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
A bunch of asparagus, cut diagonally (discard the tough end)
Chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 creme fraiche/fresh cream
100g organic goats cheese (you can replace with philly if that’s easier)
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnishing

Method

Roll out the pastry and cut circles with the mousse ring. Arrange on baking sheets and chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Melt the butter and saute the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and continue to saute until tender and lightly browned. Transfer into a bowl to cool, then add the rest of the ingredients in. Preheat oven to 400F, place the fillings onto the puff pastry and bake until the crusts are puffed and golden, and the filling cooked through. Garnish with thyme.

Have fun trying out the recipe, and hope you enjoy the photos ^_^