jon latessa

Citrus season is always an exciting time of year. With so many different different varieties available, blood oranges are likely my very favorite citrus. In addition to the usual citrus flavor they have a unique raspberry undertone that is hard to resist. This recipe is a little time consuming, but totally worth it. Suggestion: buy a few extra blood oranges, squeeze the juices out, and make a Blood Orange Martini!

Note: your tart may be very different in color depending on the oranges available. My blood oranges were quite dark.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup finely ground almonds
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp orange zest
• ¼ cup ice-cold butter, cut into ½” cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 tbsp ice water

• 2 tsp blood orange zest
• ¾ cup fresh blood orange juice
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• ¼ cup butter, cut into ½” cubes

Method

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, ground almonds, sugar, salt, and orange zest, and pulse briefly to mix. Add the cold butter, and pulse five or six times, until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add egg yolk, then add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, stopping as soon as the dough starts to clump together. Note: the dough will be VERY sticky, so feel free to add extra flour to make it easier to work with
2. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and gently form it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour or until quite firm.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12″ circle. Gently fit into a 9″ tart pan, folding in the overhang and pressing against the side to create a thicker rim. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375F.
5. Line the tart shell with a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully remove the foil and weights, and return to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown all over.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F, and set the tart crust aside to cool on a wire rack while you begin on the curd.

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat, whisk together the orange zest, blood orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, eggs and egg yolk. Cook the curd, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, for about 5-10 minutes or until it starts to thicken and coats the back of the spatula. Note: be sure to continually stir or the filling will burn!
2. Remove from heat and stir in the butter pieces until melted. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

1. Place the prepared shell on a baking sheet. Pour the cooled curd into the shell, smoothing it out into an even layer.
2. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is lightly puffed and set on the edges, but still retains a slight wobble in the middle. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

From the very lovely Crumbblog

I recently have fallen in love with Soluna Garden Farm’s Ras el Hanout. It’s a super unique spice blend that includes a little bit of everything- Nutmeg, rosebuds, cinnamon, mace, galangal, chili pepper, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric, allspice, anise, cloves, coriander, cumin, sesame seeds, and lavender. When I spoke with Soluna at the Davis Square Farmer’s Market, they encouraged me to add it to my coffee grinds. I prefer my coffee straight up (the stronger the better!), but adding the Ras el Hanout into recipes has been a tasty treat!

Check out this oatmeal cookie recipe with Soluna’s Ras el Hanout mix below. You’ll love them!

Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 tp salt
• A healthy amount of Ras el Hanout
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 cup golden raisins

Method

Heat oven to 350˚. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

Slowly add flour, baking soda, salt and Ras el Hanout. Mix well.

Add oats, coconut and golden raisins. Mix well.

Drop small rounded tablespoons onto lined cookie sheets and bake 10 – 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Let sit for 1 minute. ENJOY!