Rustic Canyon Wine Bar's pastry chef Zoe Nathan and owner Josh Loeb talk to Laura Avery about combining fresh
quince and goat cheese into a savory but sweet tart. It's a timely recipe as this is the last week for
quince, the fuzzy apple-like fruit that needs to be cooked to be
eaten.
Quince and Goat Cheese Crostata
For the Dough
- 4 ozs butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter, pulse until pea size, add water and pulse until the dough just barely comes together. Wrap dough in plastic, flatten and put in refrigerator for around 2 hours.
Filling
- 6 quince
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 12 ozs Redwood Hill Fresh Chevre, or another mild soft goat cheese
Bring 3 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar to a boil in a medium-sized pot, then lower to a simmer. Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds out into simmering mixture and throw the bean pod in as well. Place the whole quince in the vanilla bean syrup and poach until quince are tender, about 25-35 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quince cool in the syrup. (Note. At this point you can prepare the quince up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge immersed in the vanilla syrup).
Roll out dough to about 12 inch by 12 inch. Put the goat cheese in the center of the dough and spread out until about 1/2 inch thick, leaving a 3-inch perimeter around the edge. Brush egg wash (1 beaten egg) over the edges of the dough. Slice the quince flesh off the core in whatever shape or size you like, and lay over the goat cheese. Fold the sides of the dough over the filling, leaving a small opening in the middle . Place the formed crostata in the freezer and cool for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the crostata from the freezer and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until it begins to brown. Remove from oven and pour a half-cup of poaching syrup over the entire crostata. Return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes until it becomes a shiny brown.
Enjoy with a delicious cup of coffee or a higher acid dessert wine from the Loire Valley.
Alex Weiser with his carrots
Farmer Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farms grows many different kinds of carrots. Check out his purple, orange and white carrots. Parsnips are also in season. They look like a white carrot and can be roasted along with the carrots for a delicious side dish.
Music break: Bullfight by Jeff Rowena Group