I have been looking around the net today, and I found an interesting idea, dated back to 2002, butit didn´t seem to have gotten as much attention as deserved.
The idea is to make 100 things, 100 bloggers, 100 days, and see how many will jump on the boat, and what they have to write about themselves.

So, the mission is as follows:

I will write my 100 list, and then another person does the same thing, and writes hes/hers url in under commenst, and that way there will be a ring of links, and hopefully more traffic, and i will of course list all bloggers here.

You can see the original idea here, (In danish)

Me lo habían dicho en varias ocasiones pero he tenido que esperar a que abrieran un supermercado Mercadona al ladito de casa para que lograr hacerme con una latita de estas anchoas de la marca propia Hacendado. Envasadas en AOVE, sin exceso de sal (tan frecuente en otras marcas) y apenas sin espinas (alguna queda). Lomos limpios, sin restos de piel y con un precio inferior a un euro para la lata pequeña (con 7 anchoas dentro).

A mí me gusta cambiarles el aceite a las anchoas. Las saco de la lata, las escurro sobre un papel absorvente y las dejo una horita en un plato con un chorreón de buen AOVE. Las de hoy eran magníficas y, aunque no comparables a mis favoritas (las de Don Bocarte), son una alternativa que cuesta la quinta parte que éstas. Otro producto al fondo de despensa (en este caso, al fondo de nevera).

pisto

En las tiendas de Maracaibo y Costa Oriental del Lago Subway ofrece sándwich de Pastrami de Avestruz. Más información en Avestrucesmaracaibo.com

Notes from Hareinik has a guide to Yerevan dining.

As fairytales do, this one has come to an end. June bids everyone adieu as July waits impatiently to be the star of the show.

Of all the months, July is my least favourite. I know many people will nominate the oft-gloomy November or the very unpredictable March as the months they can do without. But for me, it’s July.

And the reason is very simple. Without question, July is the most humid and muggy month of the year in Toronto. And I absolutely detest humidity. I’m a fall/winter girl to begin with, so while I enjoy aspects of spring and summer including the garden, fresh fruits and vegetables and long days, I do not enjoy the excessive heat. I survive, but I don’t enjoy it. Add to that the heavy layer of humidity that settles over the city in which I live and I generally become a cranky Cream Puff in July. Not a pretty sight.

But it isn’t quite July 1st yet so until then, I will enjoy the last of June. I had great plans for this month in terms of baking and cooking and the Flavour of the Month … Once Upon a Tart by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau. But some computer woes and a decision to paint our entire house put a dent in my well-laid plans.

Ah, well … such is life.

Do not, however, be surprised if you see a Once Upon a Tart creation popping up now and then during the summer. There were quite a few recipes that I wanted to try from this lovely book and never had the chance. While the book is rich with recipes for savoury and sweet tarts, it has so much more. Salads … soups … muffins … cookies … the list goes on. If you have the opportunity, I urge you to pick up the book and peruse its charming pages. You’ll be smitten, I guarantee.

To further entice and tempt you, I leave you with this lovely Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Tart. What a lovely way to end the fairytale!

Ciao!

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Tart

Adapted from Once Upon a Tart ... by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau.

The picture at the beginning of this post is one of the tart prior to being baked. It looked so beautiful that I just had to snap a photo.

For the tart shell:

Follow the same recipe as the tart shell in the Roasted Red Pepper Tart with Olive Tapenade.

For the tart:

• 1 large eggplant, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
• 6 plum tomatoes, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, washed and dried
• 1/4 cup parmesan, freshly grated
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup light cream (10%)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 par-baked tart shell (recipe link above)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle generously (a few tablespoons) with salt. Let sit for 1/2 an hour. This draws out any excess moisture from the eggplant.
3. After 1/2 an hour, place the eggplant in a bowl (shake off any excess moisture) and add the garlic, olive oil and dried oregano. Mix well and spread the eggplant on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to burn the eggplant.
4. While the eggplant is roasting, place the tomato slices in the colander and allow to drain.
5. Once the eggplant is done, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack. Let the eggplant cool to room temperature.
6. Place your par-baked tart on a baking sheet (this helps when it's time to transfer the tart to the oven and also helps in case your tart leaks).
7. Line the bottom of the tart with the basil leaves. Sprinkle the parmesan over the basil.
8. Alternating between the eggplant and the tomato slices, layer the items in your tart shell. You can be fancy in your design or not ... it's up to you!
9. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add some freshly ground black pepper to taste (I used 1/2 a teaspoon).
10. Pour the custard mixture carefully over the tart. You may have to stop every now and then to allow the custard to flow down into the tart shell as the eggplant and tomatoes will be piled high. The custard should come up to within a quarter of an inch of the top of the tart shell.
11. Carefully transfer your tart to the oven. Bake for an hour or until the custard is set (doesn't jiggle) and the vegetables are golden and roasted. Let the tart cool before you serve it.
12. Enjoy!

Note:  The original recipe calls for the basil and parmesan to be blended together in the food processor until they form a paste. I left the basil leaves whole and lined the tart base with them and it turned out lovely. I also increased the amount of basil from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. The original recipe also calls for 8 or 9 plum tomatoes. I found that to be too many so I cut back to 6 plum tomatoes.

Technorati tags:  eggplant, tomatoes, basil, tarts

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