Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

6 ramekins

Phyllo dough

Olive Oil

4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions

3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin sliver

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons dry white wine

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler

1 small log of fresh goat cheese.

1 large tomato, cut into slices.

3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease all ramekins. Carefully take out 6 sheets of defrosted Phyllo dough. Fold each piece into quarters and push into each ramekin to form a shell.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese into the dough shells on the bottom. Next layer on the onion mixture. Next layer the goat cheese, and finally the tomato. Add another layer of parmesan cheese and top off with the fresh basil. Bake in oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Carefully use a spoon to pry the tarts out of their ramekins and serve on plates.

Enjoy!!

Bev's Apple Pie

So....after a successful trip to Shelburne Orchards (complete with Tyson the cutest American Bulldog alive) Sarah, my roommate, and I decided to bake an apple pie. We are planning on being in the pie contest at the Orchard in a few weeks so we had to make some prototypes. This pie is DELICIOUS and is my mommy's (Beverly) recipe. Hope you enjoy it like we did....everyone was fighting over the last piece.

Pie Crust

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 cup crisco

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup ice water

Cream together the butter and crisco in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Change the attachment to the dough hook and add in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and ice water. Mix until the dough comes together and you can easily push it into a ball.

Saran wrap the dough ball in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Filling

2-3 pounds of apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks

cinnamon

nutmeg

ground ginger

all spice

cloves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons Tapioca pearls

1 tablespoon butter

milk for brushing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Once apples are peeled and cut into chunks, add the white and brown sugar and tapioca pearls. Stir until mixed. Take your dough ball out and cut into half. Roll out the bottom half and place inside a greased pie dish. Be sure to fill in all holes in the bottom of the crust. Add apple mixture into pie shell. Sprinkle generously with all 5 spices. Dot the apples with the 1 tablespoon of butter, and spritz with lemon juice. Roll out the top crust and place on top of apples making sure to seal the edges. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with white sugar. Cut 8 slits in the top of the crust around the center as vents for the seam.

Take 2 pieces of tin foil and make a cross with them as a base to place your pie in so the juices won't run off on to your oven. Loosely place another piece of tin foil over the pie to prevent premature browning. Bake for 45 minutes with cover and then take cover off after and cook for another 45 minutes until golden brown.

This tastes the best after it has been sitting for a few hours to give the apples a change to come together so it won't be soup-like when you go to get a piece.

Enjoy!!