Tart Fest: Tawny's Birthday Party

Smoked salmon on potato rounds with sour cream and dill

For my friend Tawny's 34th birthday, I wanted to do something different. Usually I use dinner parties as an excuse to indulge; you know, you start with a cheese plate, maybe have a little pate, then go on to a rich and naughty dinner of braised short ribs and an extra creamy potato puree. Maybe the finish comes in the form of a luscious flourless chocolate cake with caramel sauce. Everyone feels happily stuffed afterward, albeit a little guilty.

Spinach salad with peas, scallions and sunflower seeds

Though I'm all for a little indulgent enjoyment, I wanted to have a healthy dinner party. Mind you, I did not want to count calories or anything of that extreme nature, but - at the end of the night - I wanted to feel satisfied and happy and healthy. I think everyone was on the same page as they all responded with glee when I changed the Evite to note that this would be a healthy dinner party.

For an appetizer, I made little potato rounds and topped them with a dab of lite sour cream, smoked salmon and dill. I could have used bread but dinner involved a lot of breadiness, so I opted for the potatoes. It really creates that perfect bite: the creamy potato against the salty salmon and that little burst of sour freshness from the cream. Yum.

Tomato, basil and corn tart with caramelized onions

For our main course, I made two tarts. Both had a puff pastry crust, which was our one indulgence for the evening. For the tomato tart, I covered the baked crust with caramelized onions, then topped it off with a salad of cherry tomatoes, basil, sweet corn and a balsamic vinaigrette. The second tart was baked with a layer of artichoke and lemon peso, topped with a salt and pepper marinated shrimp. I sprinkled chopped chives after the tart came to room temperature.

Shrimp and pesto tart

I made enough for everyone to have a few pieces of the tart, and plenty of salad. It was great having no leftovers, and everyone commented that they all felt satiated but not stuffed to the gills. (BTW, I must apologize for the the blurry photos - those were taken after a few glasses of wine!). The tarts were light but flavorful and delicious.

Chocolate tofu tart

For dessert, I made a chocolate tofu tart. Now before you go "ewwww!" hear me out. I didn't tell anyone that the tart was made with tofu until after they gleefully ate it. You really can't tell that there is no dairy in this easy and fabulous tart. The only ingredients besides the chocolate graham cracker crust is tofu, melted chocolate, honey and vanilla. So simple, and so good!

After a few rambunctious rounds of the game Taboo, we all called it a night. My friend and birthday girl Tawny called the next day, and said, "Thank you SO much for making us a healthy dinner! I can't remember the last time I came home from a dinner party feeling this good."

Feeling good - now that's what parties are supposed to be about, right?

Roasting Ain't Just for Winter Anymore

Last week I went to the Eagle Rock Farmer's Market (Friday nights between 5-9 p.m.) and discovered that it has a lot to offer. Not only does it offer a decent variety of street food (roasted chicken, tacos, kebabs, roasted corn) and a petting zoo with the cutest little pig I've ever seen in my life, it has an impressive array of vegetables and fruits - both standard and exotic.

I'm not usually impressed by the standard veg, but for some reason, the gigantic carrots being sold at one stand stood out. I hardly ever eat carrots outside of a salad, but seeing these reminded me of a fabulous batch of roasted carrots I made a long time ago for a family dinner. Without any hesitation, I decided to grab a few and get roastin'.

Like the age rings of a tree, so are the innards of our carrots

I had purchased some leeks from another stand, and decided that it would be a nice mix with the carrots. I simply washed and cut the veg and spread them out on a roasting pan. I then hit it with some olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt then used my hands to make sure each nugget was touched by the oil. Sounds like a twisted version of that religious TV show..."Touched By The Oil."

Carrot and leek oil wrestling match - round one!

I then put the pan in a preheated 500 degree oven for 20 minutes. The result? Caramelized, tender, flavorful vegetables perfect alone or as a side dish - all for about $1.50. Why would anyone boil carrots when roasting creates this beautiful array of loveliness? WHY? WHYYYYYYYY????

Ahem...my point is this: Roast, don't toast. I mean, roast, don't boil. Too bad that doesn't rhyme.