Upside-down Onion Tart laced with Balsamic Vinegar,
Not surprisingly, I’m more about multitasking than meditation and mindfulness. No one defines me as serene or tranquil. In my next life, maybe. While I’ve dabbled with yoga throughout my adult life, that’s not been successful. Thirty-seven minutes into an hour session, I’d be in Downward Facing Dog mentally making my grocery list. By Warrior Pose I’d remembered two crucial phone calls to be made. Fifty-five minutes into the session when everyone is lying quietly, getting centered for the day, I’m rolling up my mat and creeping out of the room.
This tart is a ‘rather stylish and very tasty’ homage to the classic French tarte tatin. Fun to make.
I can finally announce, however, this was a major breakthrough month for yours truly. Let the trumpets blare. How many of those does one have in a lifetime? Is it time to make one of your own?
After tenderizing and carmelizing the onions/balsamic vinegar on the stovetop, lay the disk on top and pop into the oven for the magic to happen.
Since my return to Aspen, I’ve watched my friend, Judy, who lets nothing stand between her and three weekly yoga sessions. However it was my friend, Kathryn, another yoga groupie and new Lights on Bright follower, who inspired me to dig out my old mat. “You know, Mary,” she said, ”every weekday morning, except Friday, I have yoga to look forward to. Now, on Friday mornings, I have Lights on Bright. It’s perfect.”
Pasta with new potatoes, green beans, and pesto, served steaming hot or room temperature.
Red Cabbage, Parsnip, Orange and Dates Salad has Zing – that’s the perfect word. The orange’s juice provides the dressing.
Readers, you know I’m a sucker for praise. This yoga business was worth another shot. Long story short……3 mornings a week, M-W-Sat, 90-minute sessions, (repeat, 90-minute sessions), all month, without fail. Our teacher, Anne, is a flat-out miracle worker. She begins each class (it’s 7am, after all) with a short story. Last Monday Ann talked about Thoreau and Emerson’s famous conversation about Simplicity. Do you remember it? Thoreau was commenting to Emerson about the need to ‘simplify, simplify.‘ To which Emerson responded, “One “simplify” would have sufficed.”
Cannellini Bean Hummus topped with Olive Oil infused with Smoked Paprika
Cannellini Bean Hummus, a spicy and flavorful alternative to your regular dip or more-caloric sandwich spread.
While being amused by Emerson’s cleverness, it also occurred to me why I am so enamored with “River Cottage Veg, 200 inspired vegetable recipes” cookbook. Every month our virtual Cottage Cooking Club makes several of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s delicious recipes which are the very essence of simplicity. This month I’ve chosen a quickly made and tasty quartet: Red Cabbage, Parsnip, Orange & Dates salad; Upside-down Onion Tart; Pasta with New Potatoes, Green Beans & Pesto; and Cannellini Bean Hummus with my Baked Tostadas leftovers suggestion. Each recipe is delightful, simple and party or family fare.
Lunch – Baked Tostadas: Flour Tortilla, hummus spread, sliced tomatoes, chopped herbs. Ready for a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Baked Tostadas: Flour tortilla, hummus spread, roasted red-pepper slices and leftover carmelized onions from my last piece of onion tart. Just pulled from the oven – it’s lunch.
Enjoy this delicious food through photos, each dish special in its own way. I posted the savory/sweet Onion Tart Recipe below. If you’d like other recipes, just ask. It’s a sure bet any of these dishes would make a tasty addition to your table.
UPSIDE-DOWN ONION TART WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
INGREDIENTS:
All-butter, ready-made puff pastry (I prefer the Dufour brand)
3 to 4 medium onions
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 1/8-inch thickness and cut out an 8-inch circle. Wrap the pastry disc and place it in the fridge.
3. Peel the onions and slice each one into 6 or 8 wedges, keeping them attached at the root end.
4. Heat the butter and oil in an 8-inch pan ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat. (I used a 9-inch cast iron skillet)
5. Add the onions, arranging them roughly in a pinwheel pattern.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for about 15–20 minutes, turning once or twice, until they are fairly tender, and starting to caramelize around the edges.
7. Trickle the balsamic vinegar over the onions and cook for a couple of minutes more, so the vinegar reduces a little. Remove from the heat and make sure the onions are fairly evenly spread around the pan.
8. Lay the pastry disc over the onions and put the pan into the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is fully puffed up and golden.
9. Invert the tart on to a plate, so the sticky caramelized onions are facing up, on top of the crispy pastry. Sprinkle with minced fresh herbs and/or crumble over a favorite cheese, if desired. Serve with a green leafy salad.
River Cottage Veg, 200 inspired vegetable recipes, by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
The Cottage Cooking Club is an international online cooking group cooking and learning our way through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s “River Cottage Veg“ cookbook. The Club, led by Andrea,The Kitchen Lioness, is ‘meant to be a project aimed at incorporating more vegetable dishes into our everyday cooking, learning about less known, forgotten or heritage vegetables, trying out new ways to prepare tasty and healthy dishes, and sharing them with family and friends.’
I’m not part of the River Cottage club, but I may as well be, because I’m in love with this book. I’ve been using it several times a week for months now. I keep making the same recipes over and over bc I enjoyed them so much, so it’s fun to read the posts from the club, to remind me that there are lots of other things in there.
Oh nelly. That’s a lot of yoga. I’m not bendy enough for yoga (which probably means I need it desperately).
Your post made me laugh. In the past, my experience with yoga was nicely summarized in your words, wandering mind, multi-tasker extraordinaire, etc. In the past several months, yoga has clicked for me too. I started going once a week last summer, upped to twice a week in the fall. Now I’m trying to fit in three classes a week. Of course, I’m otherwise busy, so that is itself a challenge. I feel stronger, more physically flexible, and I’ve gotten much better at clearing my mind during the class. Who would have thought? Keep with it! I think it’s really good for you.
As for your recipes, my choices didn’t overlap yours, but my mouth is watering over that onion tart. The pasta and hummus look pretty tempting too. I’ll admit that salad isn’t going to fly in my house (you know, Howard, fruit, savory…). I love how straightforward the recipes in this book are, though they never taste plain. What a winning combination!
Mary, I am never going to look at your Blog again when I’m hungry! I’ve ransacked my kitchen and, as you know, came up with very little! I’m starving. The pictures of your dishes look completely delicious – nary a weak spot. Your blog is amazing. Keep up the good work.
Hi Mary,
Just a note to tell you I made the pork roast with mango, not once but twice! The first time I had the lemon garlic (our favorite) roast in the fridge and all ingredients but the mango so I made it w/o but kept thinking about how good it would be with the mango so I bought one and did it again. YUM!! Delicious! Love your blog.
Dear Mary, your blog post is wonderful! It always fills me with joy to read that you (and all the other members of The Coattge Cooking Club) enjoyed the recipes – this month was a bit of a challenge vegetable wise, as the weather is still rather unpredictable and so is the choice of veg available. Love the look of your Upside-down onion tart – a wonderful party worthy recipe. The Hummus is wonderful every time I make it – I bought more beans for making it again tomorrow. The Pasta dish was a huge hit with the kids and I loved the ease of preparation. Yours looks delightful – did you enjoy the Red Cabbage, Parsnip, Orange & Dates salad – looks so colorful and very healthy.
I am in awe of your discipline with respect to the yoga classes – I certainly could not do that. Three times a week, 90 minutes, starting at 7 a.m. – respect dear friend, respect!
Enjoyed your post so much – I am happy when your are happy, so we will continue our CCC cooking adventure!
“See” you tomorrow on FFwD – the Cheesecake Tart is all gone by now and tomorrow is a national holiday around here – no school, shops closed etc.
Until then,
Andrea
Okay, okay, I am going to buy the cookbook. Everything looks so good and healthful too. And that onion tart looks like food art. I am trying to figure out how to serve it to Bernie when he says he can’t eat onions. Can I substitute the onions for preserved lemons? (oh that was last week)
I was shocked to read about the yoga and the fact that I had to read first about it in the blog. Is this how VV’s share with each other? Anyway, I am happy you have found nirvana and I hope some of it rubs off on me.
Namaste.
Oh, yeah. I’ve been doing yoga regularly for 10 years, but there are those days when we’re supposed to be memorizing a flow and I’m making a grocery list in my mind. But I’ve improved since those early days! Boy, your dishes all look glorious—this looks like a cookbook I need in my repertoire.
P.S. I love all your Aspen friends—wise ladies!
Great choices this month, Mary! Every version of the onion tart that I see is more beautiful than the last – I love the burnished look of yours. As you know, I made the other recipes as well but I really enjoyed reading your reviews of them. Thank you for the reminder that hummus makes a great sandwich spread – I tend to think of it as a dip, which is really limiting. Looking forward to the May recipes.
Mary, such a fun, vibrant, and life giving person, it is no wonder everyone loves you so much. I so much enjoy your writing and the themes you intersperse. Of course, I got a chuckle as I always do, reading about your yoga journey. Congratulations on getting through the month, beginning at 7 am. Your dishes look sensational. I very much like your use of the flour tortillas combined with the hummus, as well as the caramelized onions shown just beneath. I plan on giving the salad a try, it looks so colorful and tasty. I’ve been planting my garden, finishing the container edibles, and doing the very behind yard work, so pressed for time this month. I do apologize for my delays with everyone, sans our fearless leader, in my reading and commenting. Hauling a lot of soil makes for an earlier evening too. The mulch person gets hired. See you soon and thanks again for another fun Post!
I want to know where you take yoga! I will be in Aspen for August and want a good yoga class.
LOL Mary I have done the same thing in yoga but I do stay for the class and try not to fall asleep at the end. Kudos to you for getting to a 7AM class, I don’t go until 9 AM. Love the onion tart, might have to try that one. Have a great weekend.
Wow! All your picks for this months CCC look fabulous! Love the onion tart…It seems similar to the beet tart I made over the summer.
I have total admiration for your commitment to your yoga class! I get up every morning at 6, but enjoy taking my morning a bit slower than you. I go out walking at 8:30. Usually doing between 2 and 4 miles each day.
Have a great weekend!
Mary, I always enjoy reading your posts! Love the stories you intertwine. The onion tart was so easy (except for turning the onions over – I cut a bit too much off the root end) and it turns out so stunningly beautiful. I thought the salad was quite vibrant and very tasty as well. Due to my choice in jarred pesto, I did not care much for the pasta dish. Will have to try it again with the homemade pesto. Great idea to use the hummus as a sandwich spread! And your tostadas sound wonderful.
Kudos to you on your yoga! Getting on my hands and knees… ouch.
I loved your post Mary! (I just typed 3 exclamation marks and went back to delete two:) Simplify…) I am a yoga fanatic these days. Gary has even started and its great fun to do together. Three 90 minute classes a week is an awesome commitment. I only have one 90 minute class. 90 minutes is HARD. Without yoga and meditation I would have lost my scattered mind years ago:) You out did yourself with all your River Cottage cooking. I bought River Cottage and have made a couple of the recipes and want to do more so I committed to one recipe for May. My mantra lately is “There is nothing I have to do.” It is so EASY for me to beat up on myself about all the things I SHOULD be doing! Simplify…
“One “simplify” would have sufficed.” Love it!
How impressive that you are doing yoga 3 times a week. I keep thinking I need to break out a tape (or3!) that I have, since we know there’s no getting to a class that many times! Bendy enough indeed!
I so very much wanted to make that tart. It looks so delicious!! All of youre recipes do. I only got two recipes completed (and just now posted!), but it’s always fun to see what everyone makes. Always a pleasure
Mary, are you still going to yoga regularly? I love it when I make the commitment and go but I, like you, have trouble shutting my mind down. I often walk out of class with a long “to-do” list that I’ve constructed in my head while everyone else focused on their bodies (or at least that’s what I tell myself). I love your baked tostada leftover lunch ideas. Very clever.