1995 Valentine’s Dinner

France

Tomato, Cheese, and Herb Tart

NV Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray Brut

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Soufflé

Duckling with Orange Sauce

Seafood Crêpes

1991 Domaine de L’Olivet Cotes-Du-Rhone

1993 Domaine de L’Oratoire Saint-Martin Cairanne

Winter Greens with Gorgonzola Dressing

Cheese Assortment (Chaumes, Etorki, Camembert, & Gaperon Garme)

1992 Château Bauduc “Les Trois Hectares”

1977 Domaine du Haut des Terres Blanches Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Cassis Sorbet

Cappuccino

Tomato, Cheese & Herb Tart

Crust:

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 Tbsp (about) ice water

Filling:

• 5 medium tomatoes cut into 1/2″ thick slices
• 9 oz Emmenthal or Gruyére cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp minced, fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced, fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced, fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried
• 3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the crust: Combine the flour and salt in the processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add enough water by Tbsp to form moist clumps. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13″ round. Transfer to 11″ diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake until pale golden about 15 minutes more. Cool crust on a rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature).

For the filling: Cut each tomato slice in half. Place tomato slices on paper towels and let drain 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Top crust with the Emmenthal cheese slices. Arrange the tomatoes atop the cheese, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle herbs, then Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Season with pepper. Bake until cheese melts and tomatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove the tart pan sides. Cut tart into wedges and serve. Serves 8

Duckling with Orange Sauce

• 1 duck, 4 to 5 lbs
• 2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup currant jelly
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp dry mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 orange, peeled & sectioned
• 1 Tbsp orange flavored liqueur (optional)

Fasten neck skin of duckling to back with skewers. Lift wing tips up and over back for natural brace. Place duckling breast side up on rack in shallow roasting pan. Prick skin with fork. Roast uncovered in 325 degree F oven until done, about 2-1/2 hours, removing excess fat from pan occasionally. (If duckling becomes too brown, place piece of aluminum foil lightly over breast.) Duckling is done when drumstick meat feels very soft. Let stand 10 minutes for easier carving.

Heat orange peel, orange juice, jelly, lemon juice, mustard, & salt to boiling. Mix water & cornstarch; stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in orange sections and liqueur. Brush duckling with some of the orange sauce; serve with remaining sauce.

Stephen’s subtle sense of humor comes out in his comments in his recipes …

Seafood Crepes

Filling:

• 6 medium mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion, divided
• 3 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 3-1/2 cups (about 18 oz) cooked seafood, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3x 3oz pkg cream cheese, cubed
• 1/3 cup half-n-half
• 3 Tbsp snipped parsley
• 2 Tbsp sherry (optional)
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 16 crepes

Crepes:

• 1/4 stick of butter, melted (I don’t know how you melt butter and keep it as 1/4 stick)
• 1-1/2 cups of milk
• 2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 eggs

Do-Ahead Tip:

Stack crepes with wax paper between each. Wrap and refrigerate no longer than 2 days or freeze no longer than 3 months. Thaw wrapped frozen crepes at room temperature for 3 hours.

Filling:

Cook and stir mushrooms and 1/4 cup green onion until onion is tender. Stir in seafood, cream cheese, half-n-half, and parsley. Cook, stirring constantly, until cream cheese is melted. Stir in sherry.

Assembly: Place about 1/4 cup filling on center of each crepe; roll up. Place 8 crepes seam sides down in each of 2 ungreased oblong baking dishes, 12″ x 7-1/2″ x 2″, or ovenproof serving platters. Sprinkle each with 1/2 cup Swiss cheese. Cover and heat in 350 F oven until crepes are hot, about 20 minutes. Garnish each dish with half of remaining green onion.

Crepes:

Beat all ingredients until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours so that the flour will absorb the liquid and thicken the batter.

Brush the bottoms of a 7″ crepe pan and 10″ skillet with melted butter and heat over medium heat. (I used a thin stainless 7″ steel pan. That seemed to work better for me than Calphalon.)

Pour scant 1/4 cup batter into crepe pan and tip the pan to coat the bottom. Cook the crepe until the top is set and the underside is slightly browned (about 2 minutes).

Loosen crepe (a high heat rubber spatula is good for this) and flip it into the 10″ hot skillet. Cook briefly (about 30 seconds) in the skillet. Meanwhile, wipe the bottom if the crepe pan with a paper towel to clean residue from the pan and wipe again with another paper towel that has a little melted butter on it if needed. Start cooking another crepe.

Stacked cooked crepes with wax paper between each one. Crepes may be used immediately, wrapped in foil and refrigerated, or frozen until later.

Winter Greens with Gorgonzola Dressing

• 1 lb winter greens (whatever in season) washed & spun dry
• 2 cups 1/2″ fresh bread cubes
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz Gorgonzola (about 1/3 cup)

Place bread cubes on a cookie sheet in a single layer and place in 400 F oven about 3 minutes, or until bread is dry. In a large skillet melt butter and fragrant with the garlic. Add bread cubes, stirring in the butter-garlic until crisp and pale golden.

In a small sauce pan on very low heat, warm oil and vinegar, whisking Gorgonzola until it is melted. In a large bowl, add greens & croutons, and drizzle with dressing. Salt & pepper to taste.

Cassis Sorbet

• 1-1/2 x 16 oz pkg frozen, unsweetened boysenberries or blackberries, thawed
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 5 Tbsp créme de cassis liqueur
• additional créme de cassis liqueur (optional)
• fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Puree thawed berries in a blender or processor. Strain through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing firmly on the solids with the back of a spoon.

Combine sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stir sugar syrup and 5 Tbsp cassis into the berry puree. Chill berry mixture. Transfer berry mixture to ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a covered container and freeze.

Scoop sorbet into bowls. If desired, drizzle with more cassis and garnish with the mint. Makes 8 servings.