The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (13 page)

7.
Freeze (uncovered) until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to airtight containers, and freeze until ready to use, up to 6 weeks.

8.
To serve, preheat oven to 425°F. Place logs on parchment-lined baking sheets; bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly before dusting with sugar and cinnamon. Serve warm.

scallion tarts

MAKES TWO 8-INCH-SQUARE TARTS

Baked tarts can be frozen up to 3 weeks. Without thawing, reheat them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. Instead of large tarts, you can make individual-size tartlets: Cut the pastry into eight 4-inch squares; bake for about 20 minutes.

All-purpose flour, for work surface

1 standard package (17.3 ounces; 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed

8 bunches scallions (2¼ pounds), trimmed and cut into matchsticks

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red Thai chile, ribs and seeds removed, minced

½ cup walnuts (2 ounces), finely chopped

½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large egg yolk

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry sheets just to smooth creases; trim the edges slightly to make even.

2.
Place each sheet on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze 20 minutes.

3.
Place the scallions, garlic, chile, walnuts, olives, and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss. Set aside.

4.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water. Brush a ½-inch border around the edges of the dough with egg wash. Divide the scallion mixture between the sheets, leaving a ¼-inch border; sprinkle each with cheese.

5.
Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

shallot and date empanadas

MAKES 12

Instead of raw shallots, try using the same quantity of roasted shallots. Remove the skins and slice into thirds. Unbaked empanadas can be frozen up to 3 weeks; without thawing, bake in a 375°F oven for about 30 minutes. Baked empanadas can be refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 2 weeks; reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1½ teaspoons caraway seeds, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon table salt

¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

8 ounces cream cheese, well chilled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound shallots, cut lengthwise into sixths

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

6 dried dates, pitted and quartered

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1.
In a food processor, pulse the flour, caraway seeds, sugar, and table salt several times to combine. Add the butter and cream cheese; pulse until the mixture just begins to come together. (Gently squeeze the dough; if it doesn’t hold together, add 1 tablespoon cold water.) Turn out the dough onto plastic wrap; flatten into a disk. Wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.

2.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots; cook, turning occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Season with coarse salt and pepper; remove the skillet from heat.

3.
On a generously floured work surface, roll out the dough to
¹
/
₈
inch thick. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut out 12 rounds from the dough. Brush the border of one round with water. Place 2 date quarters in the center of the round, then top with shallots, dividing evenly. Add a pinch of thyme; season with coarse salt and pepper. Bring three sides up and crimp together in the center, enclosing the filling. Pinch the edges to seal. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Freeze 15 minutes.

4.
In a bowl, beat together the egg yolk and cream. Brush the empanadas with egg wash. Bake until golden brown; about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

crisped haloumi cheese

SERVES 6 TO 8

Haloumi is a semihard cheese made from sheep’s milk; look for it at Middle Eastern markets.

5 teaspoons nonpareil capers, chopped

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 pound (2 packages) haloumi cheese

1.
In a small bowl, mix the capers with the lemon zest and juice; set aside. Slice each block of cheese crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices.

2.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, arrange the cheese slices in a single layer in the skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving dish; spoon the caper mixture over the cheese. Serve warm.

dressed feta cheese

SERVES 6 TO 8

We particularly like the flavor and firm texture of Bulgarian feta cheese, which is easy to slice, but other types can also be used.

1 pound feta cheese, drained well

5 large sprigs fresh dill

5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 scallion, including green parts

1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1.
Cut the feta into ½-inch-thick slices, wiping the knife each time to keep the cheese from crumbling. Arrange on a serving dish.

2.
Pick the leaves from the herbs, and chop finely. Slice the scallion into thin rounds. Combine herbs and scallion in a small bowl; stir in peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Spoon the herb mixture over the feta. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil, and serve.

mushroom crostini

SERVES 4

1 small (or ½ large) baguette

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 shallot, thinly sliced into rings

8 ounces chanterelles or other wild mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped

12 rounds (¼ inch thick) goat cheese, cut from a log (about 6 ounces), room temperature

Fresh chives, snipped, for garnish

1.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the baguette crosswise into 12 ¼-inch-thick slices; place them on a baking sheet. Brush with oil; season with salt and pepper. Toast in the middle of the oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot; cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and any juices have evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3.
Place a round of goat cheese on top of each crostini; top with 1 tablespoon mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with chives. Serve warm.

tomatoes à la grecque

SERVES 6 TO 8

This dish can be prepared several hours ahead and served chilled or at room temperature. Peel and slice the cucumbers just before serving.

2 pounds small ripe tomatoes

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup white-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground coriander

2 cucumbers

1 tablespoon dried oregano, for garnish

1.
Slice the tomatoes lengthwise into quarters, through the stem. Place in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.

2.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic; cook, stirring, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, and coriander. Let simmer 1 minute.

3.
Immediately pour the hot vinaigrette over the tomatoes, and let them marinate at room temperature until completely cooled. Alternatively, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

4.
Just before serving, peel the cucumbers, leaving on stripes of skin for decoration, if desired. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise; scrape out the seeds with a spoon, and discard. Cut the cucumber into ½-inch semicircles. Garnish the tomatoes with the oregano, and serve the cucumbers in a separate bowl.

crostini with salt cod brandade

SERVES 10

1 pound choice-grade skinless and boneless salt cod

4 garlic cloves, mashed

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 baguette, sliced on the bias into ¼-inch-thick pieces

1.
Rinse the salt cod, and place it in a large reusable plastic container. Submerge the cod in cold water, and place, covered, in the refrigerator. Allow to soak overnight. Drain the cod, and replace the water with fresh cold water. Let soak overnight again.

2.
Remove the cod from the soaking liquid, and place it in a large pot. Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Drain cod; let cool, and break into large pieces. Transfer to a food processor; add garlic, and process until the mixture is coarsely chopped.

3.
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, warm the cream until hot; do not bring to a boil. While processing the cod mixture, slowly add the cream through the feed tube. Add the oil and lemon juice in the same manner; blend until creamy and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.

4.
Heat the broiler with the rack placed in the upper third of the oven. Lay the baguette slices on a baking sheet; drizzle each slice with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place the baking sheet under the broiler; toast the bread until the edges are lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove from the oven; let cool. Spread the brandade on the crostini; serve.

stuffed quahogs

MAKES 10

Quahogs are found mainly off the eastern coast of the United States; steamer clams may be used instead.

1 baguette, crusts removed and insides cut into ¼-inch dice (about 4 cups)

¼ pound chorizo, chopped into ¼-inch dice

10 quahogs (about 5 pounds)

¹
/
₃
cup olive oil

10 garlic cloves, chopped (about ¼ cup)

2 onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the cubed bread on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until dry, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

2.
In a sauté pan set over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the chorizo is lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo from the fat, and transfer it to a paper-towel–lined plate. Blot dry, and set aside.

3.
Under running water, scrub the clams clean. Place in a large stockpot, and add
²
/
₃
cup water. Cover the pot, and place over high heat. Steam until all clams have opened, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the clams from the pot, discarding any that did not open; strain the broth through a paper-towel–lined fine strainer; set aside.

4.
Remove the meat from the shells. Chop into ¼-inch pieces; set aside. Separate the shells into halves; clean them thoroughly by boiling in a large pot of water for 5 minutes. Remove the shells from the pot; let cool.

5.
In a large sauté pan set over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Cook the garlic, onions, and red pepper flakes, stirring, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

6.
In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup reserved clam broth into the eggs. Add the onion mixture, clams, chorizo, and herbs; toss well. Add the bread cubes. Fold together until just mixed. Season with pepper.

7.
Heat the grill. Fill each clamshell with stuffing, about ¼ to
¹
/
₃
cup filling per shell. Dot the top of each filled shell with butter. Place the quahogs, stuffing side up, on the grill; cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate; serve warm.

bûcheron with cucumbers, basil, and figs

SERVES 6

Bûcheron is a tangy, mild goat cheese. We like to serve it drizzled with a deep, intensely flavored extra-virgin olive oil.

1 baguette, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-inch-long pieces

½ pound Bûcheron or other soft goat cheese, sliced

6 fresh figs, halved, for garnish

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cucumbers

1 sprig basil, for garnish