Blueberry Pie & Tarts

This recipe can be made with fresh wild blueberries, or frozen wild blueberries. The wild berries are smaller, but have more taste than the cultivated larger berries. You can usually find the frozen wild berries from Canada or Maine.  Since they will have some ice crystals on them, it's a good idea to rinse them quickly under cold water and dry them in paper towels before using them in your recipe.

Two crust recipes are given - you can use butter or shortening depending on the texture you like.
The butter makes a shortbread-like crust, and the shortening or lard makes a flaky, puffy tart shell.

Filling: 

For one pie, or 24 tarts

4 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 TBS (or a bit more) of lemon juice

#1 Pastry made with unsalted butter 

2 1/2 cups of flour
2 TBS sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
4-6 TBS ice water

#2 Pastry made with lard or shortening

1 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 TBS brown or white sugar
1/2 lb shortening or lard
1/2 egg
1/2 TBS vinegar
1/2 cup of cold water


Directions: 

Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, or put into a food processor.
Add the butter and process on/off for about 1 minute till the pieces are the size of peas.
Add the water, one TBS at a time and mix with a wooden spoon till it holds together.
Lightly form into two balls and flatten to disks.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

If you don't have a food processor, you can make this dough by using a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour.  Turn the bowl often as you go so you get all the flour into the butter.
Then add the water a little at at time to your bowl, and mix with a wooden spoon.

Roll out and cut 12 tart circles for each ball of dough.  I like to use a martini shaker as it cuts the dough to a nice size. Press the tart circles into a muffin pan so the shell is near the top of the muffin cup.  Or if you're making a pie, roll out each disk to about a 12" diameter.  Use one for the top and one for the bottom.

Fill each tart with the blueberry mixture. If using the butter crust, bake the tarts at 375F for about 20-25 minutes, till lightly browned. Let cool in the pans before removing them.

If using the shortening or lard crust, bake at 425F for about 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature for the remaining time - 10-15 minutes. This will puff the pastry.

For a pie, bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake another 25-30 minutes.

Nonni's Lemon Pie Filling

This recipe from my grandmother is delicious, super easy and made from real lemons.  A whole recipe will fill 24 tarts or a 9" single pie crust.  You can purchase a frozen pie shell, bake it, let it cool and then fill it.

Filling:
3 Tbs flour
3 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups of boiling water
1 TBS of butter (unsalted)
3 egg yolks (mix with a fork)
Juice of 1 lemon
grated rind from 1 lemon

Directions:
Add about 2 inches of water to a double-boiler. Or use a pot, and place a stainless steel bowl over it.
Do not let the bowl touch the water. Boil the water. In the top portion, add the flour, sugar and salt. Gradually stir in the cold water, then add the boiling water.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and mix until thickened.  (about 5-8 minutes).

Add the mixed yolks and continue stirring till thick.

Add the lemon juice and rind and remove from the heat.

Add the butter.  Taste, and you can add more lemon juice if you like it more tart.  Cool.

Fill the cooled tart shells, or pie shell with the cooled lemon filling.  Serve topped with whipped cream.

Lobster Watercress Salad

Watercress is a peppery salad that is a nice change from arugula. I like to use a lemon olive oil and a white lemon balsamic which is a little sweet to complement the greens. You could substitute another seafood like crab or shrimp.  Great recipe for a ladies' lunch.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb of cooked lobster meat or other seafood
1 package of Cress salad greens
8 spears of asparagus (steamed and cooled)
8 marinated artichoke hearts, cut in half
12 black olives and 8 green olives
8 campari or red cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters, or halves
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
Olive Oil (lemon)
White balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper

Directions:

This is a salad that should be served in individual bowls, rather than mixed in a big bowl.
Set out 4 bowls.  Add a generous handful of the Cress.

Cut the cooled asparagus into 2" slices on a diagonal.  Add to each salad.
(Asparagus is cooked in a saute pan with about 1/2 cup of water on medium, till it turns bright green, then removed and cooled).

Cut the artichoke hearts and place in each bowl.

Cut the tomatoes and add to the bowls.  Add the olives.

Drizzle olive oil (about 1 TBS) per salad bowl on the ingredients. Then drizzle the vinegar lightly over each salad.

Top each salad with about 4 oz of the seafood. And then squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the seafood.  Salt and pepper can be optional for each guest.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

This is an easy sauce that goes well with beef tenderloin, chicken and even vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 TBS prepared horseradish
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Taste, and add more horseradish if you like a little stronger flavor.

(Can be made a day ahead). Keep refrigerated.