The Return of Scott

Scott had been in travelling and had returned to Los Angeles. I had made a Peach Pie, and we invited Scott / Tom and Robert and Darryl over for dinner. Scott / Tom couldn't make for dinner but said they would come late for a piece of pie.

We started with Pappa al Pomodoro Soup. This is a thick Italian Tomato soup we love to make in the summer when tomatoes are at their best. We use the recipe from the Italian Country Cookbook by Rogers and Gray. You can get the recipe from our blog of: June 26, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We had eaten at Mozza and had a special Pizza that used tomatoes from BiancoDiNapoli by Chris Bianco. These canned tomatoes were intense in flavor. We asked Matt if we could get some of the tomatoes and he gave us a can. The tomatoes are deep a deep red in color and delicious. They are perfect for sauces and soups. We used these tomatoes as the basis of the soup.

Figs are in season and we made a favorite from the The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers: Chicken Braised with Figs, Honey & Vinegar. When figs are at their peak this is a great dish. We always serve it with cous-cous. The sauce from the dish is delicious with the cous-cous.

You can get the recipe from our blog of: June 27, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

When Scott and Tom arrived they did have some Chicken and Figs and then had their piece of pie with us.

For the Peach Pie I used a recipe for Gingery Peach Crisp from Jim Dodge. What makes it special is I mixed crystallized ginger with the peaches. This gives a real tang to the pie. We used Crystallized Ginger Chips from the Ginger People. You can buy it at The Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Gingery Peach Crisp

This simple, summery dessert is based on a couple of Jim Dodge’s recipes in The American Baker.

Fri, Feb 05 2010 at 3:56 PM EST

Gingery Peach Crisp

Ingredients

•               10 medium peaches, ripe but firm

•               2 tablespoons cornstarch

•               1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

•               1⁄2 cup (about 3 ounces) crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped

•               10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

•               1 cup bread flour

Preparation

1.            Preheat the oven to 375˚F.

2.            Wash and dry the peaches, but do not peel.

3.            Cut into eighths and place in a mixing bowl.

4.            Combine the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of the sugar, add to the peaches, and toss to coat; stir in the ginger.

5.            Spread the contents of the bowl in a shallow 2 1⁄2-quart baking dish.

6.            Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces.

7.            Combine in the bowl of an electric mixer with the flour and the remaining 1 cup sugar.

8.            Mix with the paddle attachment at low speed until crumbly; stop mixing as soon as the color begins to show yellowish.

9.            Spread the topping over the fruit and bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling around the edges, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

10.        Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with vanilla ice cream.

Yield

Serves 10

Time estimates

Prep time: 30 min  

Cook time: 1 hr  

Total time: 1 hr 30 min  

Good to know

Most of what I know about desserts I have learned from my wife Elaine Ratner and indirectly from pastry chef Jim Dodge, with whom Elaine worked on two classic cookbooks. This simple, summery dessert is based on a couple of Jim’s recipes in The American Baker. A stand mixer with a paddle attachment makes short work of preparing the crisp topping; if you don’t have a mixer with a paddle, rub the butter together with the flour and sugar as if making pie dough, and when it reaches the consistency of coarse meal, gently press it together into pea-sized clumps.

Flaky Tart Dough
Tartine by Prueitt & Robertson

Yield two 9-inch or 10-inch tart or pie shells

This is an example of a baker's recipe that you will never have to look up if you just remember the basic ratio of three to two to one, flour to butter to water. It can be scaled up and down as needed without adjustment (except for occasionally changing the water amount because of high humidity affecting the flour or the moisture content of your butter), and it always makes a perfect flaky dough if you handle it gently and keep the butter and water ice cold. At Tartine, we make this dough two different ways: one is quickly mixed together (whether you use a food processor or make it by hand) and the other is a bit more complicated but yields an even flakier dough that is like a rough puff pastry.

KITCHEN NOTES: There are two things that you can do to ensure a flaky crust: work the dough very briefly, making sure that some of the butter remains in pea-sized pieces (when the dough is rolled out, you should see faint streaks of butter), and chill the dough well before baking. Chilling creates little pockets (made by tbe flour and water) where the butter is, which will remain after baking and is what creates the light and fork-tender texture in a well-made dough

Salt         1 tsp

Water, very cold 2/3 cup

All-purpose flour         3 cups + 2 tbsp

Unsalted butter, very cold 1 cup + 5 tbsp

In a small bowl, add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve. Keep very cold until ready to use.

To make the dough in a food processor, put the flour in the work bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Pulse briefly until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Add the water-and-salt mixture and pulse for several seconds until the dough begins to come together in a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.

To make the dough by hand, put the flour in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and scatter the pieces over the flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture forms large crumbs and some of the butter is still in pieces the size of peas. Drizzle in the water-and-salt mixture and stir and toss with a fork until the dough begins to come together in a shaggy mass. Gently mix until the dough comes together into a ball but is not completely smooth. You should still be able to see some butter chunks.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into 2 equal balls and shape each ball into a disk 1 inch thick. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or for up to overnight.

To line a tart pan or pie dish, place a disk of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center toward the edge in all direc­tions. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn every few strokes to discourage sticking, and work quickly to prevent the dough from becoming warm. Lightly dust the work surface with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking. If lining a pie dish, cut out a circle 2 inches larger than the dish. If lining a tart pan with a removable bottom, cut out a circle 1-1/2 inches larger than the pan. Carefully transfer the round to the pie dish or tart pan (fold it in half or into quarters to simplify the transfer if necessary), easing it into the bottom and sides and then pressing gently into place. Trim the dough even with the rim of the pan with a sharp knife. If you are lining a pie dish, you can trim the dough so that there is a 1/2-inch overhang, fold the overhang under, and flute or crimp the edge, though at the bakery we leave the edge plain.

For recipes that call for unbaked shells, refrigerate until ready to use. If refrigerating overnight, cover the shell with plastic wrap. For recipes that call for a partially baked or fully baked shell, chill the shell until firm to the touch, 30 minutes to 1 hour, before baking. This ensures the flakiest crust. The shells may also be well wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks at this point. It is not necessary to thaw them before continuing with the following steps for baking.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line the pastry shells with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. For a partially baked crust, bake until the surface looks dry and pale, with no dense or opaque areas left, about 20 minutes; to check, lift a corner of the paper. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and paper. Return the shells to the oven and bake for a few minutes longer. Check the dough while it is baking. If it is rising up in the middle, gently pierce it with the tip of a knife (be careful not to make a large hole in case you use a very liquid filling).

For a fully baked shell, bake the shells until the surface looks light brown, about 25 minutes; to check, lift a corner of the paper. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and paper. Return the shells to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes longer.

Let the shells cool completely on wire racks before filling. They will keep, well wrapped, in the refriger­ator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks