A little dinner...a big dessert

So today is my first post....and I am still trying to figure out what this blog is going to be about exactly. I think that it is something that will evolve over time, but to begin...I wanted a place where I could post some recipe's and pictures of the foods Nick and I are enjoying.

Today I was inspired by a recipe posted in MS Living Magazine. Nick and I love fresh concord grapes and the season is upon us. Martha's recipe of the month is Concord Grape Tart and I have never cooked with concord grapes so I gave it a try. The recipe was fairly easy, my only sticking point was the cooking of the grapes...the recipe says to cook until 220 degrees (about 8 minutes or so) ..for some reason after 15 mintues mine was still at 205 degress and I made the executive decision to pull it at that point. It turned out to be a good decision...everything set up well and there were no problems.
The tart was absolutely delicious and the creme fraiche was a good accompaniment (it definately needs the creme or some sort of whipping cream to compliment the grape). The crust was buttery and flaky...I would highy recommend you try this one.

Leave it to me to discuss dessert before dinner. I figured for the sake of balance...we needed a lighter, healthy dinner given that we were going to have dessert today. So our dinner tonight was Warm Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad. The beets were fresh from my Mom's garden..small little jewels.

I cleaned the beets (but did not peel them) drizzled a bit of olive oil and place them in a foil pouch and roasted in a 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Once roasted and cooled, the skins just slide right off. The beets get quarted and place on top of organic spring greens that are dressed lightly with Sherry Vinaigrette. Fresh goat cheese is dipped in egg wash and lightly coated with bread crumbs then browned in a saute pan with a bit of olive oil....nothing better than warm goat cheese!