Small Batch Gin & Tonic, Anyone?
In July, we were wandering around the Old Port area of Portland Maine when we stumbled upon a shop that looked intriguing. The sandwich board on the sidewalk said Vena’s Fizz House, Natural Soda Bar & Mixology Shop. So we went in. The shop was newly opened, just that week.
The shelves were stocked with anything you might need for a fun home bar. There were interesting mixers for cocktails, glasses, shakers, swizzle sticks, straws, books, you name it.
My purchase for the day was a bottle of Jack Rudy’s Small Batch Tonic.. This elixir provides the tonic flavor without the high fructose corn syrup of commercial tonic water. You add the gin and soda water; the tonic syrup adds the requisite quinine flavoring as well as orange peel and lemongrass, giving it a refreshing citrus burst.
Finally, we got around to opening the bottle and making cocktails. I loved Howard’s verdict: “I could get used having one of these, everyday”.
If you don’t live near Vena’s Fizz House, you can order the tonic online from Jack Rudy Cocktail Company. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Small Batch Gin & Tonic
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in ¾ ounce of Jack Rudy’s Small Batch Tonic and 1½ ounces of your favorite gin. Add seltzer to fill the glass (about 4 ounces). Stir. Garnish with a slice of lime. Sip and enjoy!
Tart Art
I LOVE making tarts, savory or sweet. Certainly I make my share of quiches, but, honestly, I like anything in a pastry shell. My tart pan with its removable bottom is one piece of kitchen equipment I could never do without. An empty pastry shell is excellent vehicle for turning leftovers or random vegetables in the refrigerator into an elegant-looking meal.
My go-to pastry crust recipe comes from Mark Bittman. Last week, by way of David Lebovitz, I discovered another pastry crust that you must add to your repertoire. This one is a press-in crust made from MELTED butter. The technique is unusual but oh-so-easy. You melt butter, oil, water, sugar, and salt in the oven until the butter browns. Then, you stir in flour and press the dough into the pan. The baked crust is incredibly flaky. The only caveat is that David doesn’t recommend using this crust for a wet filling.
To test out the recipe, I made a beet green tart (sorry, no picture) and found myself falling in love with this crust. All week, I’ve been dreaming about other fillings to try. I was thinking about something with roasted zucchini, when the perfect inspiration came along.
I had all the required vegetables from my CSA share, so I made Ratatouille Tian (from the delightful Clothide of Chocolate and Zucchini’s new book). This mélange of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions is gorgeous to behold. Howard, of course, doesn’t eat eggplant or zucchini, but we had friends coming for dinner, so I had people to share it with.
The tian made more than we could eat; more than half was leftover. For lunch, I packed the leftover tian into a pastry shell and topped it with crumbled goat cheese for a Ratatouille Tart. It was everything I hoped for.
What other summer fillings can you suggest I try?
Ratatouille Tart
Serves 4 to 6
Pastry shell, baked in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (try this recipe)
3 to 4 cups ratatouille (from Ratatouille Tian or your favorite recipe)
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 350F. Fill the pastry shell with ratatouille, as decoratively as possible. Scatter the crumbled goat cheese over the filling evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes, until filling is warm and cheese starts to brown.
Fairy Tale Eggplant: So tiny, aren’t they cute?
A Plateful of Happiness 