Dear CSA Members,
The weather has turned cold and the leaves are starting to turn yellow, red and orange. We’ve gotten some good chill about, 43 hours so far. That’s way ahead of the two previous years. It’s shaping up to be a good winter. The olives have been picked and pressed into oil, the apples and pears are picked and are ready to be made into galettes and pastries. I am so excited; it’s really feeling like the holidays!
Right now in the kitchen it’s primarily about pastry. Hortencia is making lots of crunch dough to get ready for all the holiday galette orders from the shop and our mail order customers. Our crunch dough is a pastry dough that I learned many years ago while interning at Chez Panisse. It is called a “rough puff” because the dough is not made like a classic puff pastry. Classic puff pastry is made by first making a détrempe, a block of dough consisting of flour, water and salt, that is wrapped around a butter block. The dough is then “laminated” or rolled, turned and folded several times; 6 to be exact. In this method the butter is distributed in layers, created the layered or puff affect when baked. The crunch dough is made with the same ratio of butter to flour; (almost half and half) but they are incorporated together at the beginning as a traditional pie or tart dough would be and then turned only 3 times. The dough is rough looking at first. You leave the butter in bigger chunks when incorporating it with the flour than you would say a pie dough. Getting the dough to come together is challenging, and you think it won’t work. That first turn is crumbly and patchy with large chunks of butter but by the third turn, it is smooth and cooperative. When I first learned to make this dough, it was not turned and rolled as puff dough: that it optional. When not turned, it still comes out beautifully, sturdy, yet not tough, and with good mouth feel. But, I love the flakiness that the laminating gives it.
The rough puff is the pastry we use for all the free form galettes and tartlettes and the turnovers. This time of year we feature Pear Frangipane Galettes, Apple Galettes, and Holiday Crostadas. The Pear Frangipane is made with a frangipane base, (almond paste, butter, sugar a little flour and eggs) with poached warren pears on top. It is rustic and beautiful to look at as well as delicious to eat. I also love that this galette freezes well and reheating nicely. It is one of my favorites.
We make our apple galettes by first making an apple sauce with vanilla and a little sugar which is spread on the bottom of the tart shell. Then sliced apples are arranged over the top. I love the combo of apple and vanilla. It always reminds me of the bakeries in Paris that I visited when I first started baking. (It’s even better with brandy soaked plums!) If you’d like the traditional “apple pie” flavor with cinnamon, try our apple turnovers.
The Holiday Crostada is equal parts apple and pear, with a little candied orange peel, currants and vanilla bean. It has the distinction of being a double-crusted. It looks like a free from pie. It is a perfect end to a holiday meal.
The Pear Ginger Cake is something I picked up at Oliveto many years ago. It has morphed in to a fresh ginger cake as opposed to a “spice cake” as it was originally. It is made with poaches pears, fresh ginger and cinnamon and clove. The tang of the buttermilk offsets the sweetness of the pear and the fruit gives it its moist quality. This we serve with a cream cheese frosting. Only on the top, as we don’t want to overpower the flavor of the fruit.
Remember these are all available to you, they can be delivered with your CSA box. They will come to you unbaked and frozen with baking instructions. (Except the cake of course.)This way, you can bake them off at home before your party, dinner or event.
I hope you enjoy this season as much as I do!
Bon Appetite!
Chef Becky