This much I know…
… that I suck at gardening. I tell everyone I hate it when in fact what I hate is my ignorance of not knowing how to do it.
In this new-old house I’m now in (circa 1927), I inherited the most exquisite garden. Most of it, I’m told, is perennial. So you’d think it a no-brainer for someone such as myself.
You’d be wrong.
I’m the one who last fall cut the sunflower stalks off a full foot and a half above ground level because I wasn’t sure how much of the plant to leave to ensure stellar blooms this year.
Sunflowers, I am told, are annuals.
Last fall I Googled “ornamental grasses” to figure out what to do with the 8-foot ones that flourished on the south-east side of my garden. Google suggested leaving them intact for a showy winter display. I did that. And now the damn things are 12 feet high and I need a step ladder to have my way with them.
So before I ruin everything that gives me an endless display of “awe,” I’ve enlisted the services of a master gardener.
This chick, I’m told, is going to teach me how to fish.
All tarted up on Rogers TV’s “Daytime”…
Today on “Daytime” I got co-hosts, Julia Piedimonte and Chris Reid-Geisler, all tarted up.
I must say, in the tart department, those two are naturals.
I put Julia through her paces with a couple of pastry bags fitted with star piping tips. One bag held vanilla-maple whipped cream cheese, the other my homemade vanilla yogurt cheese. Julia did me proud as she loaded the bags, applied just the right pressure, and swirled her way to utter decadence as she filled each pastry shell with the fillings.
Chris — who was pitch hitting for M.I.A. regular co-host, Tuscany-bound Christian Pritchard — proved no slouch in the fruit tart decorating department, enhancing Julia’s divine swirls with orange and grapefruit supremes, kiwi coins, lusciously blackberries and sweet strawberry fans.
They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. I agree. And judging by their happy tarty faces, Julia and Chris think so too.
What’s that? You say you want the recipe?
As always, your friendly neighbourhood Friday Whisperer serves at the pleasure of her warriors.
Enjoy!
The Fridge Whisperer’s Lightened up Yogurt Cheese Strawberry Tarts
(makes 12)
3 cups (750mL) Balkan-style natural yogurt (6% MF)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ripe strawberries, stem end left intact
12 frozen tart shells, baked according to package directions and cooled to room temperature
¼ cup apricot jam
• Line a wire mesh sieve with a basket-type disposable paper coffee filter and spoon in yogurt.
• Set yogurt over a 4-cup liquid measuring cup and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours, or until 1 ⅓ cups liquid whey drains from the yogurt into the measuring cup. The consistency should be like softened cream cheese. Yield is 1 ½ cups of thickened yogurt “cheese.”
• Transfer yogurt cheese to a bowl and stir in vanilla. Set aside.
• Place one strawberry on cutting board with pointed end facing you. Make four or five lengthwise cuts from just below the stem end to pointed end. Fan slices apart slightly, being careful to keep all slices attached to the stem end. Set aside on a plate and repeat process with remaining strawberries.
• Melt apricot jam in a microwavable dish on high for 10 seconds or until melted.
To assemble tarts:
• Spoon 2 tablespoons yogurt cheese into each shell, top with one strawberry fan and glaze with melted apricot jam.
• Refrigerate prepared tarts until ready to serve.
Fridge Whisperer, proud to serve…
Most of you have come to know me through my blog posts here at FridgeWhisperer.com and for my cookbook series of the same name. But behind the scenes I’m also a proud volunteer — four years running — on the board of directors for the Ontario Writers’ Conference.
My portfolio is venue. No surprise there.
The thing I love most about serving on this committee is that everyone has my back. They save me from myself time and again. With no finger wagging, no tisk-tisking, no rolling of eyes. And, believe me, I screw up a lot.
I think we’re the best darn writers’ conference in the country… if not the continent. This year we increased our conference registrations by a whopping 50 per cent. And we sold out tonight’s Festival of Authors; our pre-conference kick-start author and poet reading series.
No doubt social media played a part in our incredible spike in numbers. We sent out a monthly e-newsletter. We tweeted en masse with #amwriting and #OWC2012 hashtags on our Twitter handle @ONTwritersConf. On Facebook we encouraged timid writers to come check us out. And they are.
The Ontario Writers’ Conference does not hire talking heads. Our line up of learned authors, agents and editors facilitate roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-writing workshops that help get the creative juices flowing… word by word.
As far as I know, we’re the only writers’ conference around doing it this way. It’s truly inspirational. And it’s obviously working because many registrants write to share with us their publishing success stories since attending the conference.
I have never been more proud to serve on a committee. These are the writers and editors and poets I now call family. There’s a reason we committee members don an Incredibles persona before each conference. We are superheros. And if anyone begs to differ I know they’ve never attended our conference.
Poor bastards. They don’t know what they’re missing.
4-Ingredient Apple Puffs: dessert made easy…
Having a box of commercially made puff pastry on hand in your freezer guarantees you can whip up this crowd-pleasing dessert anytime.
For an really special treat, warm puffs in the microwave for 10 seconds and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Compliments of your friendly neighbourhood Fridge Whisperer
Mini Apple Puffs (Makes 15–20)
Preheat oven 400F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
1 package (containing 2 sheets) commercially made frozen puff pastry, thawed in fridge overnight
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ cup apple jelly
~ Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds and place ½-inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
~ With the tip of a sharp paring knife, carefully trace a fine line inside each round without actually going through the pastry.
~ Dock/pierce the centre of each round with a fork.
~ Place pastries in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to chill, then place 1 teaspoon diced apple into centre of each pastry and sprinkle with sugar.
~ Bake puffs in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow puffs to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
~ In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt apple jelly and brush over cooled puffs. Dust puffs with powdered sugar, if desired.
CLICK HERE to order a copy of Chef Deb's latest delicious creation (in book form).
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Chef Deb is proud to present
The Fridge Whisperer:
CONDIMENT CONFIDENTIAL
Click the cover to read more!
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Chef Deb's First Book A Huge Success!
Click on the book cover to order your copy.
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Easy-to-prepare, ready-in-minutes, delicious and nutritious meals are what The Fridge Whisperer-50 FAST AND FABULOUS FAMILY FAVES is all about.
Create any and all of The Fridge Whisperer’s sure-fire recipes. Your family will love you for it!
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50 Fast & Fab Grocery List
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Click HERE to get the 50 Fast & Fab Grocery List