UnRecipe: These Tarts are Plum-Tasty, Y'all

Howdy, pard'ners. It's another rootin' tootin' post about delicious grub. This here post is about how plum-tasty Italian plums are when baked in a tart. GAH. I can't write like that beyond two sentences, so that's all I'll make anyone endure in a faux stereotypical cowboy voice. But Italian plums, the smaller, egg-shaped cousins of the more typical round plums one sees in the produce aisles, are a nice seasonal ingredient to take advantage of in the waning months of our fading summer light. I used the wisdom of the Foodie Wizardress of OZ, Donna Hay, to inspire this post about Roasted Plums in a Goat Cheese Tart.

You saucy little tart, you! - Photo by Wasbi Prime

Ms. Hay's recipe featured figs -- something I wholly agree with, but I wanted to take advantage of my new personal produce dealer and fellow blogger, Ms. Picket Fence, who has been so kind to the Wasabi household by sharing fruits of her garden bounty. Sounds naughty, but it's really quite nice of her and Mr. Picket Fence to have given us such delicious treats, some of which that have already been featured in previous posts. This delivery of goodies included a bowlful of Italian plums, freshly picked from their backyard tree. They were a glorious deep reddish purple, almost black, with the dusty pale finish plums get when they ripen. Slicing each one open to reveal a luscious canary-yellow interior, the pits easily popped out (to my relief, as there were quite a few to split!), and the halves were placed on a baking sheet to roast on a high heat until softened. I roasted the figs ahead of time because I knew they would give off a bit of liquid and I didn't want them waterlogging the tart as it baked. It's an extra step, I know, but it's worth it, and it really concentrates the flavor down to a delicious, caramelized intensity.

Fresh Italiano Picket Fence plums and just-baked tart, prior to its om-nommy demise. - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Cheater Confessional: I was keen to have my way with this tart, so I took a shortcut and bought premade pie dough crust. The Horror. I know, I know -- making your own pâte brisée, including leaf lard in the dough, would be the way to go to make the ultimate savory tart. And when I'm not doing this after work during the middle of a busy week, I will at some point attempt a proper lardy-good pie dough crust, as it really is something I've always wanted to try. But during the weekday shuffle, I chose one shortcut to trade out for roasted plum goodness.

Food blogging Hail Marys aside, I took the quickie pie dough and divided the two rounds across the mini tart pans I have. I don't know why I have these bitty tins and not one giant one. I've admitted in old posts that I have a bizarre love for miniature and individual-sized portions. They also cook up faster, which is a bonus. I did a blind bake, docking the bottoms with a fork and letting it partially bake in the the oven while I mixed the custard filling. The recipe doesn't call for this, but I just like doing it because I find it creates a nice moisture barrier and keeps the crust bottom crispy.

I found the inspiration recipe for Donna Hay's fig tart on her website, which I copied below, but you should see her photo, as it's quite lovely and way prettier than mine. Swapping the figs for roasted plums, and using a sprinkle of lemon thyme instead of chives for herbs were the "Un" of this UnRecipe post, otherwise it's almost a real recipe follow. And oh snap, she uses store-bought pie crust too, but it just sounds better when she calls it shortcrust pastry. A good deal nicer-sounding than Krogers Pie Dough, that's for sure.

Once the crusts were partly baked and slightly cooled, I spread the goat cheese in each one and divided the custard between the little regiment of tart tins. The little flattened, roasted plums were arranged on the top, and back into the oven they went. I think this recipe is flexible enough to where you could really add almost anything to it. The plums were nice, as their sweet/sour flavor went well with the creamy goat cheese. I think any roasted stone fruit would go nicely, since they share a similar flavor profile. I think if I did this again with plums, I'll use rosemary or even lavender. The lemon thyme is subtle and was almost lost in the heavier flavors, and strong herbs like rosemary would I think hold up well against the other ingredients. That thought will have to be held for another season, as -- much like the plums -- these summer days are at an end and a new season is about to begin! Happy Fall, y'all!

Fig and Goat's Cheese Tart - Donna Hay Magazine
2 sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry
125g goat's curd* or soft goat's cheese
4 black figs, halved
3 eggs
¾ cup (180ml) single (pouring) cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives
½ cup (20g) finely grated parmesan
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). Cut each pastry sheet into 4 squares. Line 8 x lightly greased 8cm-round, fluted tart tins with pastry. Trim excess pastry and lightly prick bases with a fork. Divide the goat’s curd and fig halves between the cases. Place eggs, cream, chives, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour into cases and bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool to room temprature and serve. Makes 8. * Goat’s curd is fresh goat’s cheese available from delicatessens.

* Post Script - Delicious thanks to Tastespotting for posting the photo of the Italian plums! Thanks also to Serious Eats' Photograzing for posting pics of the plums and the tart!

FoodTrek: PAX Vorare

If you've been reading Wasabi Prime's Tweets, first of all THANK YOU, as I appreciate your following of my random bursts of 140 characters or less, and secondly, based on the Twittering, you will have realized that despite the scheduled food posts, it wasn't really that much of a labor-free Labor Day weekend. I spent Saturday and Sunday at the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), in support of my plus-one, Brock, and the super-awesome team of Runic Games, and their game, Torchlight. I put my gamer face on, which is quite a feat, considering I'm not much of a gamer. And by "not much of a gamer," I mean, "I like Tetris because colorful blocks are fun." But being right in the heart of downtown Seattle for a weekend afforded me the rare luxury of visiting some favorite eating spots.

Feel the loving beer-laden embrace of Six Arms - Photos by Wasabi Prime

If you're familiar with the Seattle Convention Center, you're probably aware of the giant Cheesecake Factory sign. I didn't go there. Nothing against large, national chain restaurants, as they have to get down with their bad selves in a faltering economy with the rest of the industry, but I figured they wouldn't mind if I spent my lunch money elsewhere, and their phonebook-sized menu kinda weirds me out. Walking up on E. Pike St. the from the convention center, towards the Capitol Hill neighborhood, one will come across the glory that is Six Arms. It's part of the McMenamins pub family, offering hearty, inexpensive soups and sandwiches, along with a tasty beer menu of local brews. Their menu is a friendly mix of meat and vegetarian dishes, offering familiar pub fare like sandwich wraps and finger food appetizers, but they're all made with quality ingredients and you don't feel like everything's just been sitting in fry oil.

When you walk into Six Arms, it's a great example of Seattle quirk. The bar is framed with an arch made up of plumbing pipes. Posters for events and concerts, both past and upcoming, cover the walls. The light fixtures on the high ceilings are retro starbursts of metal and small lightbulbs. The deep red paint on the walls make you feel cozy as you sidle up into one of their booths. It has the proper feel of a neighborhood place while being a short walk away from the convention center, so there's no reason to wait for a seat in an overcrowded chain restaurant when you can go to somewhere as unique and wonderful as this place.

I went with a half turkey sandwich for $5.50 -- they had me at cranberry relish -- and a refreshing pint of their Ruby raspberry ale, the first fruity ale to be legally produced in the United States back in the like, totally rad year that was 1985. I know beer aficionados bemoan the fact that brews have gotten more rooty-tooty fresh n' fruity over the years, in the hopes of attracting a wider female audience, but for better or worse, McMenamins' Ruby ale is a perfectly delightful glass o' heaven to have with a simple turkey sandwich. Brock had his usual, which is to say the steak wrap. It looked delicious and if I wasn't so busy trying to take food photos, I'd have stolen a bite, but I'm sure I'll be back again soon enough.

These are a few of my favorite things - way better than raindrops on roses - Photos by Wasabi Prime

Warning: this is a tater tot establishment. Abandon all hope of fries, ye who enter here. Not that it's a bad thing, as I have an equal love of potatoes in all shapes and forms, especially when fried. But I know some folks appreciate fries over tots. Napoleon Dynamite would approve of this place, as their tots are crispy, flavorful and delicious. Consider yourself tater tot advised.

Six Arms has been an old favorite, and it was nice to be given another opportunity to enjoy a beer and lunch at this neighborhood haunt that's full of local character. PAX guests planning on returning for next year's event, take note of this place.

Victrola shows coffee the love - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The best thing to combat the post-lunch/beer foodbaby coma: have a coffee at Victrola, which is conveniently a few steps away from Six Arms. There's the common association with Seattle and coffee, since it's the birthplace of java megatron, Starbucks, but Victrola is an example of why the love between Seattle and coffee is an affair worth remembering. It's a small, specialty coffee company, so their beans are lovingly roasty-toastied to perfection in small batches. And it's truly roasted, not burned, aka French Roast. You can actually taste the subtle flavors of the beans, as all the oils aren't burned out from the roasting process like most industrial roasters do, for the sake of consistency. Victrola has respect for the almighty bean, and it shows in each drink they pour. I'm more of a latte drinker, and they don't shame folks like me who like to have a little coffee with their milk. They flourish their beverages with lovely foam designs, which I always appreciate, as it's a sign of a cafe's attention to detail. They recently had a competition over latte art, and if you doubt the power of beautiful foam, check them out on Victrola's blog, which has a link to other competition photos.

The rest of Saturday was a blur of quick snacks, a few hastily-imbibed cocktails, and an early finish at an after-party held by Warner Bros. Too tired to party on like Wayne and Garth, we retired for the night for Sunday's final round of PAX.

A little piece of France in Seattle? Oui, oui! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

On an early Sunday morn, I took some "Wasabi Time" and walked down to Pike's Market before the rush of the tourist/brunch crowd hit. One of my favorite spots is Cafe Campagne, located right on Post Alley at Pine, across from the ubiquitous red neon cup o' coffee sign, down the steep cobblestone path into the main market. It was still early, and because it's by the Inn at the Market, they thankfully start brunch at eight and you can just walk in and have a bite. I indulged in their wonderfully Francophile menu and ordered one of their spécialitées de la maison, the Pâté de Campagne. A gorgeous terrine of creamy, seasoned pork and chicken liver, served up in a chilled slab with a crispy baguette, lightly dressed greens, olives, pickled onions and cornichons. Don't be hating on the organ meat; it can be a lovely thing when it's done right, and Cafe Campagne does a mean pâté. It couldn't get much more French than this, and sitting in the little corner table, it was a nice moment of calm. I don't smoke, but it would have been a great time to have started, just to soak in the whole civilized mood before the dining area became too full. There were other single-party breakfast diners who were also taking in the early morning lull, morning papers in hand. I recommend coming in first-thing for a quiet Sunday breakfast or just during the week, when it's not too busy. The Market can be a bustling place, and I don't get to come as often as I'd like, so being able to enjoy an early breakfast there was a luxury in and of itself.

Organ meat is the breakfast of champions - Photo by Wasabi Prime

It was a picture-perfect Seattle morning, which is to say, gray, windy and rainy. My lack of preparation heading down to the Market left me running for cover for a few city blocks, scampering from one covered awning to the next, trying to make my way back up to the convention center. In a moment of drowned-rat misery, standing against a building waiting for the deluge to dial back, I had to remember what a friend once told me, which is that when things like this happen, just pretend you're in a movie. So I did. I pretended I was in a movie set in Paris, after a lovely breakfast, running through the rainy streets, waiting for my handsome leading man to find me for a lamppost corner embrace, and then WHAMMO, reality set in when I saw a herd of nerds dressed up like characters from Halo walk by. Doh.

I'm very thankful to Runic Games for giving me the opportunity to experience the Penny Arcade Expo, and all the sensory overload one gets when walking the exhibition hall floor. The team did an amazing job, and it afforded me a rare chance to do some extended wandering downtown and revisit some favorite places for a mini foodie vacation. To see more photos of PAX, go to the Prime's sister site, The Jaunty Magpie.