Spring Asparagus, Corn & Egg Cornbread Tart. Totally doable beforehand so you look totally CHEFY!
Spring Asparagus, Corn & Egg Cornbread Tart, Mother’s Day, Brahms, Beyonce, Underwood, Musgraves, & Bad Bunny
I think all families are a bit dysfunctionally wacky (hopefully in a good way). Mine is absolutely hilarious, amazing, and seriously, something out of a soap opera… and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Whenever my friends and I hilariously muse about life, it always comes with a side of “What the?” from our childhoods and belting laughter that immediately soothes our own parenting concerns. I had a pretty strict mom who was honestly, doing the best she could, but overwhelmed with the three of us, my eccentric, silly dad, and her job. I honestly think the only time she had peace was when she took us to music lessons and she’d wait for us to patiently finish, while catching up with magazines.
I had a few wonderful maternal figures and a cavalcade of aunties or Titas… I am Filipino. Imagine Latin and Asian culture (and its dysfunction) hilariously mixed together: a plethora of passionate drama (even if you don’t want to be dragged into it) with high achieving, almost impossible goals. Imagine a telenovela mashed with an Asian soap opera - impossibly good entertainment. Food was the ONLY thing that was not restricted in my family. My childhood piano teacher (my other, maternal figure), herself a mom of grown children, gave me a glimpse of the “other,” Texan, Southern way of mothering which also included laughter, tap dancing, and behold… candies in a dish. ALL THE TIME.
So, this week, we celebrate “Teacher Appreciation Day”, “May the Fourth”, “Cinco de Mayo” and “Mother’s Day.” For those of you with a mom or a maternal figure, the most simple things can mean the most. Cook (just doing the deed counts ALOT), let her sleep in, tell her she looks beautiful, maybe get her flowers, but most of all, say “Thank you for…” no matter how silly or small.
On that note, life is special and we always need a good laugh! (How else do we deal with poop, pee, potty training, vomit, and tantrums while keeping the family and work together?)
Happy Mother’s Day!
I am literally falling asleep while I’m typing this. You don’t need booze… just this!
Yo-Yo Ma, Kathryn Stott - Lullaby (Brahms)
My only hope for my daughter.
Carrie Underwood - Mama's Song (Official Video)
I think I have feel enough sentimentality for all of us. I love the purity of her voice, the song, and her look. Gorgeous.
“Mother” Kacey Musgraves
Yeah. Ironically, besides the frightful opening scene, this basically looks like my family gatherings growing up! Wait… throw in a karaoke machine and some adobo, pancit or lumpia and it’s Filipino.
"Si Veo a Tu Mamá" by Bad Bunny
Because we all have our mamas to help us grow into grown women.
Beyoncé - Grown Woman (Bonus Video)
Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you send your mom, teacher, friends and aunts a quick “thank you” for all the love and support! Have a wonderful week! Xo, Melissa
Spring Asparagus, Corn & Egg Cornbread Tart. Happy Mother's Day!
Spring Asparagus, Corn & Egg Cornbread Tart
by Kate McMillan, from “The Breakfast Bible: 100+ Favorite Recipes to Start the Day”
Serves 4-6
I’m not really a pastry person and it can seem pretty daunting. Don’t be shy! The dough is made in a food processor and can be made up to 3 days in advance. (I pulsed the dough in a food processor one night after the mad rush and after its initial chilling, it sat in the tart pan for 3 days). I made the filling the night before I wanted to serve it for breakfast, so all I had to do was crack the eggs and bake the morning of. I promise you’ll be wowed by your own prowess!
Ingredients
Cornmeal Tart Dough (Recipe follows)
For the Filling
1/4 lb (125g) thin asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1/4 lb (125g) thinly sliced pancetta (I used only half of the recommended amount)
6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (185g) fresh of thawed frozen corn kernels
freshly ground pepper
1/4 lb (125g) mozzarella or fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 lb (125) Gruyere cheese, shredded (I used a wonderful white cheddar to save a trip to the store)
1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
4-6 large eggs
1/2 cup (20g) sunflower sprouts, or pea shoots (optional)
Directions
1. Prepare the cornmeal tart dough, line the tart pan with dough, and refrigerate as directed.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the tart shell just until set, about 12 miutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Bring a saute pan of water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the boiling water and blanch just until bright but still crisp, 1-2 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the asparagus to the ice water to cool, then drain. Set aside.
4. In a frying pan, cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. If using fresh corn, add the kernels and stir until bright, about 30 seconds; if using thawed frozen corn, remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the corn. Season to taste with pepper.
5. Spread the pancetta mixture evenly over the tart shell. Sprinkle evenly with both cheeses, drizzle the cream over the cheese, and scatter the asparagus on top.
6. Bake the tart until the cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and crack the eggs on top, spacing them evenly apart. Return the tart to the oven and continue to bake until the egg whites are opaque and the crust is golden, 12-14 minutes longer. Let the tart cool briefly, then remove the pan side. Just before serving, scatter the sprouts, if using, over the tart. Cut into individual pieces and serve warm or at room temperature.
Cornmeal Tart Dough
Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
1/2 cup (75g) cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4cup (180g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large egg yolks
3-4 tbsp water
Directions
1. In a food processor, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt and pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 3 tbsp of the ice water. Gradually add the egg mixture, pulsing just until the dough comes together, adding 1 tbsp more water if needed. (Alternatively, to mix the dough by hand, stir together the flour mixture in a large bowl, use a pastry blender to cut in the butter, and then stir in the egg mixture until blended.)
3. Dump the dough out onto a lightly flours surface and knead gently into a mound. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 11-14 inches (28 by 35 cm), lifting the dough and dusting the surface with flour as needed. Flour the dough in half and transfer to an 8 by 11 inch (20 by 28 cm) rectangular tart pan.
5. Unfold the dough over the pan, fitting it into the bottom and sides of the pan and patching the dough as needed. Using kitchen scissors, trim the dough, leaving a 1 in (2.5 cm) overhang. Fold the overhanging dough in against the pan sides, pressing it to form a rim.
6. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bake as directed in your recipe or in a 375 degree F (190 degree C) over for about 30 minutes total.
#springasparaguscorn&eggcornbreadtart, #williamssonomabreakfasts, @katemcmillan, #motherday,@brahms, @beyonce, @carrieunderwood, @kaceymusgraves, @badbunny
