Aren’t these tarts cute? I’m not sure if they’re technically tarts, but it’s what I called them. I’m not actually worried about what they’re called, since they taste so good. Plus, they’re healthy. Did you know that cabbage has lots of vitamin C and dietary fiber? I like to eat it.
We’ve gotten cabbage in our Abundant Harvest Organics box each week for about the past month or so. It’s been fun to find creative ways to prepare it. In this dish, cabbage and apples are cooked with honey, topped with pie crust, baked, then topped with gorgonzola cheese and reduced balsamic vinegar.
Does Gorgonzola scare you, because it’s one of those stinky, moldy cheeses (well, aren’t all cheeses technically mold?!)? It scares me a little, I’ll be honest. It’s about as far as I go in that department. However, it pairs well not only with cabbage, but also with beef. So does balsamic vinegar.
Speaking of beef, we ate the tarts with a Steak Salad (although on the show it’s just a salad with dressing… still yummy, but it better with steak). They are intended to be eaten together. They can be eaten separately, or with other things, but I think you should just trust me on this one! For the salad, I used spinach, arugula, and lettuce. Then topped it with sliced steak and some homemade Gorgonzola Dressing.
Happy Eating!
Individual Red Cabbage and Apple Tarts
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Serves: 4
A cute little cabbage treat, topped with stinky cheese… Sounds delicious?! Yes. Sounds delicious.
Ingredients
2 apples, julienned (looks like matchsticks)
1 head red cabbage, quartered, cored, shredded
2 heaping T honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 T chives, chopped (red onion could be substituted)
1-2 T olive oil
pepper
salt
1/4 C white wine (or apple cider vinegar)
1 pie crust
1 egg + 1 t water (for egg wash)
gorgonzola cheese (goat cheese could be substituted)
1/2 C balsamic vinegar (reduced to about 2-3 T)
Instructions
In a dry pan, cook cabbage and apple with honey, salt and pepper over med heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (if using red onion, add it now too).
Add garlic and chives. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add wine, turn heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add olive oil, stir.
Grease 4 small ramekins (oven-proof dishes). Divide cabbage mixture into the dishes.
Divide pie crust into 4 discs. Roll out. Top ramekins with crust, crimp around edges. Cut four vent holes in top of each tart with the point of a knife.
Whisk egg with water. Brush over pie crust (not too much – you don’t have to use it all).
Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until crust is flaky and baked (I used the toaster oven, a conventional oven may require less time).
While they bake, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced and it’s thickened and syrupy. Keep an eye on it – don’t let it burn!
Top each tart with some gorgonzola cheese and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.
Notes
We ate this with a steak salad with homemade gorgonzola dressing. I made up this dish to go with the steak salad. It could also be good with a regular green salad, a roasted chicken, a salad topped with chicken, scrambled eggs, wilted greens with bacon, beef or chicken crostini… but really pairs well with the steak salad. 🙂
3.1.09
(A couple of months ago I showed you how to make a pie crust. For this recipe I used one of the ones I’d frozen. I divided one crust in four to make the little tarts.)
I love BLTs, I love pizza, I love bacon… How about a BLT Pizza?! Yes, I think so.
Ingredients
1 pizza crust
1/2 tomato, sliced and quartered
1-2 asparagus, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 to 1 C bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-2 T chives, chopped
1/2 to 1 C Irish cheddar cheese (or other aged, sharp cheddar), grated
1/2 C spinach, torn
Alfredo Sauce: 2 T olive oil
2 T AP flour
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 C milk
1/2 to – 1 C parmesan cheese, grated
salt
pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 475F. Roll out pizza dough and roll the edge a bit to make a crust. Bake for 5 minutes.
While it bakes, make alfredo sauce: Heat pan, add oil. Whisk in flour, cook 30 seconds. Add garlic, cook an additional 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in milk. Over medium heat, let it thicken, whisking occasionally. Once thick, remove from heat and whisk in parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Top pizza crust with alfredo sauce, tomato, asparagus, spinach, bacon, chives, and cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake for 7-8 minutes (or until crust is as crispy as you’d like it, and cheese is melted).
Chili cooks all day in the Crock Pot. The house will smell amazing, the food will taste even better!
Ingredients
6-8 C beans (I used black, pinto, and kidney), soaked overnight, but not cooked
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 C sundried tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C cauliflower, finely chopped
1/2 C leeks, chopped
4-6 C water
3 T chili powder
1 T smoked chili and garlic sea salt
2 T smoked paprika
2 T sweet paprika
2 t cumin
1 t ginger
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t pepper
regular salt (opt.) to taste
1/4 C + 2 T balsamic vinegar, divided
1 T honey
2 T molasses
1 T cornstarch, disolved in 1/4 C water (opt.)
Instructions
Soak beans overnight. Rinse well.
Add all ingredients except 2 T balsamic vinegar, cornstarch and 1/4 C water to Crock Pot. (When adding the 4-6 C water: Beans will absorb water, so make sure there’s enough so it doesn’t burn, but not so much that it’s too soupy.)
Cook on high for 8 hours, then on low for remaining 4 hours. If it hasn’t thickened enough, add cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 C water. This will help.
Add 2 T balsamic vinegar right before serving.
Serve with cornbread, chips and guacamole, and topped with things like: Greek yogurt, cheese, salsa (if you need more heat), or chives.
