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Don't worry, there are always seconds
This is the month for the wearin' of the green, for the celebration of Irish history and culture. One part of that culture has fascinated me since childhood—stories of the "Little People." Scattered throughout Ireland (and, I hoped, wherever Irish people moved) were marvelous, magical and tricky little elves called leprechauns. They might play devilish jokes on people or lead them to a pot of gold. As a child I spent too much time trying to figure out how to get on their good side so I might claim a fortune. And now I think I may have the answer: Why not whip up a light spring meal of miniature foods featuring tiny individual quiches served on a bed of micro sprouts complemented by baby vegetables, and followed by a dessert of petit fours with a wee cup of tea? And keep your eyes open for rainbows!
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Ingredients:
1 pound leeks
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 dash nutmeg
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 piecrust for 9-inch pie
1 cup shredded Irish cheddar cheese
8 patty pan squash
12 miniature carrots
2 cups mixed micro greens
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
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Directions:
Wash and trim leeks, cut into 1-inch pieces. Sauté in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Beat eggs with cream
and spices. Cut piecrust into 4 circles, each 4 inches in diameter. Gently fit them into 4 sections of a muffin pan. Flute top edges. Add leeks and cheese to each cup. Ladle on enough egg/cream mixture to just cover.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes; lower heat to 350 until quiches have puffed and are lightly browned. While quiches are baking, sauté squash and carrots in remaining butter until
crisp-tender. To serve, dress micro greens with a little olive oil and
balsamic vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Put about 1 cup of greens onto each of 4 plates. Top with a quiche and surround with sautéd vegetables.
Serves 4
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PETIT FOURS
Cake:
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
6 egg yolks
2 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar; gradually add sugar until mixture is firm. Cream butter with sugar until creamy. Add egg yolks one at a time. Sift dry ingredients into batter; fold in gently. Fold in egg whites. Spread in a jelly-roll pan that has been covered with parchment paper then buttered. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes until golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool completely. Cut cake into two layers. Spread almond liqueur on one side and your favorite jam (heated slightly to make spreading easier) on the other. Carefully put layers back together. Cut into1-inch-square individual cakes. Top with chocolate fondant, right.
Chocolate Fondant
Enough to cover 1 dozen
mini cakes
6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon almond extract
Dissolve sugar, water and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; add chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add almond extract.
Hold each petit four on a thin spatula and pour fondant over to cover. Push onto parchment paper to harden. Decorate tops with colored icing.
Makes 80 mini cakes |
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