Asparagus Parmesan Tart

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Photo Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Fresh asparagus is showing up in the market these days.  It looked so good the other day that I picked up a bundle.  Thumbing through a couple of cookbooks (see old post), I came across this tasty looking recipe for a tart.  It seemed like the perfect addition to the roasted chicken thighs and saffron rice being served that evening.

Asparagus - Parmesan Tart
From Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home 
(Recipe and Video also available here)

1 sheet (14 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 large egg, well beaten
10 medium asparagus spears, tough ends trimmed, shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface, just until creases are smooth. Trim dough to a 10-inch square. Lightly score a 1/2-inch border around dough. Brush off excess flour and transfer dough to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes.

2.Brush border of dough with the beaten egg. Bake until puffed and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Toss asparagus with the oil, and season with salt and pepper.

3.Remove tart shell from oven and press down on the center with a spatula. Arrange asparagus on top. Bake until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Bake until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes before slicing into squares.  Deb's Tip:  Use a pizza cutter to slice tart into squares.

I can't wait for those little flowery asparagus heads to pop through the soil in our garden.  It is amazing when freshly picked and served the same day!

4/21/11 Update:  Linking up to

My New Blogging Buddies

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Sweet darling Lyndsay and Sarah started The Blog Guidebook as a resource to help the blogging community get its groove on.  I recently discovered this awesome resource and wanted to share it with all of you.  Just this month, they launched a new Blog Club and I signed on. A small group of 5-6 bloggers are hooked up to form a group with the idea that fellow club members will consistently read and follow each others blogs.  Honest feedback and idea sharing is encouraged, and no doubt friendships will be born.

Here are the links to the fabulous ladies whom I have been connected with.

 



At the Bargain Hoot, Rene shares her tips for bargains, DIY decor, recipes, craftings and weddings and events.  The Bargain Hoot has lovely photos, great ideas for simple projects and recipes, and easy money saving tips.
 

Carolyn is the proprietor of Mulberry Heights Antiques in Alabama.  Her blog, It Doesn't Fall From the Tree, provides inspiration for home decor and antiques.  I love antiques and the stories they tell - can't wait to explore Mulberry Heights.



Nicola is from the UK and has a lovely etsy shop featuring hand-knit creations.  Life on Orchard Road will draw you into her world and every day loves.

Diane at Sweet European Dreams shares vintage and kitchy collectibles from Europe.  You'll be begging your grandmother for her treasures after visiting Sweet European Dreams.

Dawn is a certified health and wellness coach.  At Dawn Dishes It Out you will find healthy recipes and lifestyle tips.  I'm anxious to try out some of her recipes already - who knew you could make chocolate pudding with avocados?!

I'm lovin' The Blog Guidebook's Blog Club and my new blogging buddies!

Welcome Ladies to Footprints From Otter Hill!  Perhaps one day we will all be sitting together enjoying a glass of wine and Puget Sound oysters here on my deck on Marrowstone Island!  Cheers!



Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.


Link Ups:

A Defining Moment

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A Defining Moment:  A point at which the essential nature or character

of a person, group, etc.,  is revealed or identified.

This photo taken many, many years ago by a high-school yearbook photographer

captures a defining moment for me.  It reveals the essence of who I am. 

I was a senior in high school - only 16 years old at the time and barely broke

100 pounds on the scale.  I had just been accepted into one of the nation's best

engineering schools which had started accepting female applicants only a couple

of years before (thank you Title 9).  I wanted to take in the fun of senior year. 

I left my musical instruments and dawned a flag for the school color guard. 

I challenged the school board to allow me to take Machine Shop so that

I could be better prepared for college engineering classes. 

I was the first female student to work a lathe in that school.

I'll never forget the (male) instructor's face when I came to class

this day and started working on my project.

I had no idea that this photo was taken until yearbook came out.

It is one of my favorite photos - it gets me.



To my loving parents -

Thank you for always encouraging me to be all that I can be,

For always reminding me to never let anyone stand in

the way of my dreams and passion, 

And for being great examples of God's shining light.

Wishing all of you find your defining moment and in that moment be blessed by Our Lord's grace,

Only A Fool Argues With The Cook

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How many cookbooks are too many

for one household to own?

Seven?

Twenty-two?



Fifty-three?



Oh and don't forget these ...



Ninety - four.

Yes, ninety-four cookbooks are too many

cookbooks for one household to own.

(Must remember to tell friends and family not

to buy us any more cookbooks - unless they

personally authored and signed it just for me.)

Peter Walsh, author of It's All Too Much

suggests using post-it notes to help sort through

which cookbooks to keep and which cookbooks to move on.

I got Post-it notes.

Over the next year, I will judiciously sort through

the cookbooks.  Post-it notes will flag any recipes

that I want to keep.  If less than ten recipes are flagged,

the recipes will be scanned using NeatReceipts

and the cookbook moved on for someone else to

love and treasure. 

My Goal:  To keep only twelve cookbooks.

Wish me luck!

Link Ups:  

Princess Wishes for Mackenzie

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Someone has a birthday coming up soon.

Our littlest princess, Mackenzie.

For Mackenzie's birthday card inspiration came from

this week's Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge.

The challenge was to emboss an element on a card.

It's been a long time since I used embossing and

it was fun to pull out my old supplies.

For this card, I used tangerine Chalk ink and then

sprinkled clear embossing powder over the ink.

A few seconds under the gun and

presto ... chango ...

an embossed medallion.

 Princess wishes for Mackenzie soon to

be sent on their way!

Papertrey Ink Products: Tiny Treats Birthday Stamp Set and Vintage Buttons

Wishing a girl who's a princess, a birthday that makes all your sweet dreams come true - With magical moments, surprises and laughter, and smiles in your heart to keep ever after!

Sending Loving Thoughts

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You may have noticed that a new gadget was added

to the sidebar to keep count of the number of

handcrafted cards made for charity.

The two primary charities to which cards are donated are

Send Love Today

and

Operation Write Home.

Through Send Love Today each crafter is paired with

an individual fighting brain cancer and cards are sent

every week over a two month period.  A new pair is

assigned every two months.  It's a great way

to help directly influence someone's day.

Through Operation Write Home cards are sent in bulk

to a handler who sorts and organizes the cards and

then forwards them to active military personnel so that

our heroes can stay in touch with loved ones at home.



As you can see I'm about one-fourth of the way

to meeting my goal for the year.  I'm always

looking for sources of inspiration. 

CR84FN Color Challenge always provides a

source of color inspiration.

This week's color challenge: to use the colors

kraft, green and brown.



Here's what I came up with. 

Illustration from the Graphic's Fairy.

This card is similar to one I made last week (here),

but how different it looks with these colors.

I made another with less detail for Send Love Today.

Please consider joining one or both of these organizations, and put a smile on someone's face!

Evening Inspiration

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It's a calm and gentle evening here

in the Pacific Northwest.

A nice ending to a beautiful day.

The birds are singing their songs.

I wonder where the cayote lies.

Sometimes he beds in the brush near the apple tree.

Maggie is taking in all of the evening news

on the island as she sniffs the air.

The sun gently warms my toes as it too takes to bed.

I sip a cup of warm tea and think about

a design for this week's Get Sketchy Challenge.

Something with aqua blue - the color of the sky to the north.

Something with a bird like the one singing in the tree.

Something for Easter perhaps.

An Easter treasure from The Graphics Fairy.
Isn't she wonderful?!

Pull some lace from my sewing basket ...

And some felt and a button too ...

A piece of paper from my scrap binder ...

Need something round  - a doily - yes that will do nicely ...

Clip Clip ... Snip Snip ...

A little glue here and here and there ...

Taa Daa ....

May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year

Bring peace and happiness to you

and those you hold most dear,

And may Christ, Our Risen Saviour,

always be there by your side

To bless you most abundantly

and be your loving guide.

Linking Up To: Razamataz - Outdoor Photo Challenge   and