Asparagus Ricotta Tart

Puff pastry, rolled into rectangles, is spread with a rich ricotta cheese mixture, topped with blanched asparagus spears and baked into a delicious, savoury tart.

Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus chilling time
Cooking time: 28 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 20 to 24 asparagus spears, each trimmed to about 7 inches long
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated fontina, asiago, provolone, or other tangy cheese (about 50 to 75 grams)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 (397 gram) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 to 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
• Small fresh oregano leaves, or sliced fresh basil or parsley leaves, to taste
• Balsamic glaze, to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large, wide skillet of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, return to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes, until bright green and firm-tender.
2. Drain asparagus; cool with ice-cold water, then drain again. Set asparagus on a plate, thoroughly pat dry with paper towel or a kitchen towel, and set aside.
3. Place the ricotta, grated cheese, egg, garlic, and nutmeg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well to combine. Set aside.
4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour a work surface. Set puff pastry on the work surface and gently roll into a 10- x 8-inch rectangle.
5. Set the rolled pastry flat on the baking sheet.
6. Spoon and spread the ricotta mixture on the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border of clean pastry. Set the asparagus spears on the ricotta mixture, alternating the direction of the tips, and arranging them in a single layer.
7. Chill the asparagus tart in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. (The chilling of the pastry will make it puff better when put in the hot oven. The tart can be made to this point several hours before baking.)
8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F.
9. Brush the sides of the pastry and tops of the asparagus with olive oil. Sprinkle the sides of the pastry and asparagus with Parmesan cheese.
10. Bake the tart in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, or until puffed and lightly golden around the edges.
11. Let tart cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before sprinkling with oregano leaves (or sliced basil or parsley).
12. Carefully transfer tart to a cutting board. With a very sharp serrated knife, cut the tart into four squares.
13. Drizzle each piece with a little balsamic glaze, if using, and serve.

Notes

Note 1: The original recipe used Tenderflake frozen puff pastry.

When buying asparagus, choose top-grade, smooth, firm, fairly straight spears with tightly closed tips and even colour from top to bottom.

House Hot Toddy

 Nightly cold weather pick-me-up

1.5 oz rum (amber or dark)

.5 oz maple syrup

A few shakes of lemon juice

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Top with hot water

 

🍳 Pinot-Optimized Red Shakshuka (Serves 4–5)

This ChatGPT-derived version of Shakshuka was made with the intention of pairing with a 2009 Burrowing Owl Pinot Noir that we intend to split with some friends.  Hope it goes well!

Ingredients

Base

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 1 small orange or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 3–4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp sweet paprika

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional, but keep minimal—Pinot likes subtle smokiness)

• 1–2 pinches sugar or honey (important for balancing acidity)

Tomato component

• 1 can (28 oz / 796 mL) good-quality whole tomatoes, San Marzano if possible

• 1 roasted red pepper (from a jar or home-roasted), chopped

• 1–2 Tbsp tomato paste

• ½ cup water

• 1–2 Tbsp olive oil (added later to smooth the acidity)

Eggs + finishing

• 6–8 large eggs

• ½ cup crumbled feta or dollops of soft goat cheese (optional but strongly recommended for wine pairing)

• Fresh herbs: parsley + basil or thyme

• Salt + pepper to taste

• Olive oil for drizzling

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🔥 Cooking Instructions

1. Caramelize the onion + peppers (the key for pairing)

Heat olive oil in a wide skillet or sauté pan over medium-low.
Add sliced onions + peppers.
Cook slowly 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until:

• soft

• sweet

• slightly golden

💡 This sweet base is what makes the tomatoes friendlier to Pinot Noir.

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2. Add garlic and gentle spices

Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add:

• sweet paprika

• cumin

• coriander

• small amount smoked paprika (if using)

Toast the spices 30–45 seconds.

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3. Build a softer, richer tomato base

Add:

• tomato paste

• canned tomatoes (crush by hand or with a spoon)

• roasted red pepper

• water

• a pinch of sugar or honey

Simmer 15–20 minutes on medium-low until thickened.
Add 1–2 Tbsp olive oil to “round off” the acidity.

Taste: it should be warm, sweet, savory—not sharp.

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4. Add eggs

Make 6–8 wells in the sauce and crack the eggs in.
Cover and cook on low heat for:

• 6–7 minutes for soft yolks

• 8–10 minutes for firm yolks

Season lightly with salt + pepper.

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5. Finish with richness + herbs

Off heat, add:

• Feta or goat cheese (small crumbles or dollops)

• Fresh parsley + basil leaves (or thyme if you prefer something earthier)

• A drizzle of good olive oil

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🍷 Why This Version Loves Old Pinot Noir

• Slow caramelization → sweetness balances wine acidity

• Roasted peppers → deepen red fruit and earthy notes

• Low heat spice → complements, doesn’t fight, the wine

• Minimal smokiness → echoes the wine without overwhelming it

• Feta/goat cheese → creamy, acidic, and perfect with Pinot’s cherry + spice

• Olive oil finish → softens tomato sharpness

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🥖 Serving

Serve straight from the pan with crusty sourdough to soak up the sauce and round the pairing even more.

House Nanaimo Bars

Gleaned from two different Canadian Living recipes and personal experience.

To make the crust, mix a cup of melted butter, a half cup of sugar, 2/3 of a cup of cocoa, two eggs, 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, one cup of unsweetened coconut, and 2/3 of a cup of chopped walnuts. Press into 2 greased and lined 9 x 9 pans. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or just chill.

To make the filling, cream together 3/4 of a cup of butter, 6 tablespoons of custard powder, 3 teaspoons of vanilla, and then alternate adding 9 tablespoons of milk with 6 cups of icing sugar. Colour with yellow food colouring, if desired, and smooth over cold base. Chill for an hour.

To make the chocolate, melt 8 ounces of semi sweet chocolate with 3-4 tablespoons of butter, and spread over the cold icing layer. Chill; slice.

Best Scones in a Snap

 

Thanks to Jean Paré; I used leftover cream! If the recipe ends up a little bit too wet or a little bit too dry, both work out just fine.

 

• 2 cups All purpose flour 
  
• ½ cup Granulated sugar
• 3 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 cup Cold butter or margarine
• 1 Egg
• 2/3 cup Milk or cream
• Milk for brushing tops 
• Sugar for sprinkling

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly.
 

Beat egg lightly in small bowl. Add milk. Pour into dry ingredients. Stir with fork to make a soft dough. 

 

Pat into two 6 inch (15 cm) rounds. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with milk. Sprinkle with sugar.

Score each top into 6 pie shaped wedges. Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for 15 minutes (our note: 25 or 30 minutes works better) until risen and golden brown. Split and butter. Yield: 12 scones.

Best Scones in a Snap

Thanks to Jean Paré; I used leftover cream! If the recipe ends up a little bit too wet or a little bit too dry, both work out just fine.

Lentil Soup with Too Much Fresh Ginger

This one scales well and freezes well too.  Feeds 20 hippies.

Prep time ~ 60 minutes; cooking time ~ 5 hours

• 2 lbs red lentils
• boiling water
• 2 tbsp canola oil
  
• 1 hot pepper, diced very small (optional)
  
• 1 lb. carrots, diced
  
• 5 ribs celery, sliced
  
• 4 medium onions, chopped
  
• too much fresh ginger (1/3 cup), sliced across the fibers, then diced into tiny squares
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp cumin
• 5 L veggie stock (cubes, powder, or containers all work)
  
• 15 cloves of garlic (more if you dare), peeled, ends trimmed, and chopped in half (the big cloves chopped in thirds)
  
• 6 bay leaves
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the lentils in cold water then put them in a large metal bowl
2. Over-cover the lentils in boiling water, stir them, and let them sit for about 2 hours, topping up with boiling water as needed to keep them covered (they may swell to about triple their dry volume)
3. In a very large soup pot, heat the oil and sauté the pepper, carrots, celery, onions, and ginger on low heat until the onions are just starting to get translucent
   
4. Drain the lentils and rinse them
5. Add spices, lentils, stock, garlic, and bay leaves to the soup pot
   
6. Bring gently to a boil, cover, and let simmer for 2 hours (or more), stirring to keep the lentils from burning (on my stove, this means every 15 minutes or so)
   
7. Add salt; how much will depend on how salty the stock is
8. Serve with sourdough