Picnic at Wimberley Valley Winery for Five Friends

Rustic Tomato Tart

Chicken Kabobs

Wild Rice Medley

Mesclun with Greek Feta, Sweet Strawberries, and Smoked Almonds

Orange Chiffon Cake with Orange-Cointreau Sauce

 

Rustic Tomato Tart

Serves 8 (but the leftovers are great!) 

• 2 very large onions, sliced thin, lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ pound grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 ½ – 2 pounds Campari tomatoes
• ¾ – 1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
• Butter Pastry

In a large heavy skillet cook onions with salt to taste in oil, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove lid and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden and any liquid evaporates. Remove skillet from heat to cool onions slightly.

Note: Onion may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.

DO NOT COVER DISH—this causes condensation and will impact the crispness of the crust.

While onions cool, cut tomatoes in half, nd then cut each half in fourths.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place cookie sheet or aluminum pan in oven that is large enough to hold tart shell. Place sheet pan upside down in oven if necessary.

On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Fold round in half and transfer to a 12-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Unfold dough, easing to fit, and trim overhang to 3/4 inch. Fold overhang toward center and press against side of pan or dish.

Note: Pastry may be mad to this point a day ahead, loosely covered and refrigerated.

Spread onion mixture over dough. Top with cheese. Arrange tomato wedges as close to each other as possible (they will shrink while baking) and olives in concentric circles over cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Place tart on top of pan in the oven. Bake tart in middle of oven 1 hour, or until pastry is golden. Cool on a rack. Remove rim of pan.

 

Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

Butter Pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1½ sticks (¾ cup) VERY cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 6 to 7 tablespoons ice water

In the bowl of a large food processor, place flour and salt and pulse a few times to combine.  Scatter butter cubes over flour and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly add ice water while you continue to pulse the machine until mixture begins to form a dough.

Place dough on a floured surface, smearing dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in the flour and make the dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Pastry dough may be made 1 week ahead and chilled.

 

Mesclun with Greek Feta, Sweet Strawberries, and Smoked Almonds

Serves 5

• 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• ½ small shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoons Banyuls red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 ounces mesclun
• 1-pint strawberries, hulled—small berries halved, large ones quartered
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar (optional)
• 2 ounces aged Greek feta, crumbled
• ½ cup smoked almonds, chopped

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, honey, shallot, and vinegar. Stir in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a small container to transport to the picnic area.

Taste strawberries for sweetness. If tart, place the strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle 1½ tablespoons sugar. Toss to combine and let macerate(covered) till you are ready to add them to the salad.

When ready to serve, place the greens in a large bowl, pour the dressing into the bowl around the edge of the greens. Use a slotted spoon to drain the berries and place them on top of the greens.  Add the feta and almonds.  Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Serves 6

• 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
• 4 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
• Special equipment:
• a 1½ quart (about 8-inch) round tube shaped pan
• Orange Cointreau Syrup

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour pan, knocking out excess flour.

Into a large bowl sift together flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Separate eggs. In a small bowl whisk together yolks, oil, orange juice, zests, and vanilla and whisk mixture into flour mixture until batter is smooth.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with cream of tartar until they just hold soft peaks. With the mixer on low speed gradually add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat until whites hold stiff, glossy peaks. Stir about one-third whites into batter to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon batter into 8” tube shaped pan (batter will reach the top of pan).

Bake cake in the middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto a rack and cool cake completely in pan upside down on a rack. Run a thin knife around outer edge of the pan and turn the cake out of the pan onto a serving plate. Cake may be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at cool room temperature.

Sprinkle cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve, sliced, with syrup

Orange-Cointreau Syrup

• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Cointreau

In a 1½ -quart saucepan stir together sugar and juices and simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and syrup is slightly thickened. Add Cointreau. Cool syrup.

Note: Syrup may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Makes about 1¼ cups.