Pistachio Labneh Tart with Kumquat Caramel

I know there are fancy apps and tools out there to help us all catalogue our recipes and notes and grocery lists, but I’m an Old Millennial and so graduating from piles of post-its to the notes app on my iPhone was enough of a quantum leap for me, thank you. 

As a result, I have a few evergreen notes that just get updated and reordered as I go through life, including the one that has evolved over the years from a quick note of the groceries I need to a bloated, only-organized-to-me page of separate lists, ranging from books to read, errands to run, and recipes to make. And after a while, these list items just kind of become part of the scenery of my phone*, operating less as reminders of things I should do and more as comforting ideas of things I could do when I ever decide I want to get around to them.

*Like that time I kept a broken bicycle upside down on my living room floor for 4 years, until I got to the point that people would ask me about it and I would just tell them it was “sculpture art.” 

Which is why, just above “comcast cable box return” and below “Mississippi Roast,” I’ve had “food52 labneh tart” sitting on this list as Notes app wallpaper for probably over a year.  And over the months, the idea of it sat in the back of my brain, percolating, as I added pistachios to the crust and some kind of fruit sauce to be spooned on top, at first maybe a puree and then probably a caramel, and then definitely something citrus-based. 

It was going to be amazing, I just had to you know, actually MAKE IT.

Which brings us to last week, when I was the recipient of too many kumquats. I quickly moved from excitement to panic because, what does one ever really do with kumquats? They are weird, little bite-size citrus hardly ever found in stores and too expensive when they are, and so I’ve never had a ton of experience using them in cooking. I needed a plan or they were doomed to a moldy death in my fridge.

But, then! My brain started checking off boxes for me: 

• kumquats are citrus.
• they are very tart, and would go well with a sweeter, cheese-based filling.
• they probably pair well with pistachio
• individually they yield hardly any juice, so I could easily use up the whole bundle of them in one go.

Hi, Allie, it’s time to make a tart!

I'm so glad I finally did! The tart is creamy and sweet with a little tartness from the labneh filling, encased in a buttery crust with an extra crunch from pistachios, which also lend it a beautiful green color before baking.

And the caramel. I didn't know cooked sugar and fruit could marry so well, though that basically describes pie filling so maybe "duh", but oh boy, that stuff is good. Here, the kumquat gives a tart acidity tempered with just enough sweetness, but still sharp enough that when pooled on top of the tart, it cuts right through the butter and richness in the most perfect way.

You can certainly leave off the candied kumquats or at least don't over cook them like I did, but I do like the way they look like little caramel buttons lined up on the tart, so I'm glad I tried to add them.

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Pistachio Labnen Tart with Kumquat Caramel

Tart and caramel adapted from Food52, here and here.

For the tart:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup ground pistachios
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 16 oz labneh

For the caramel:

• 1/8 cup water
• 1/8 cup + 1 tbs sugar
• 1/4 cup kumquat juice (see note)
• 1-2 tsp brandy
• splash of vanilla

For the Candied Kumquats (optional)

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 kumquats, sliced thinly, seeds removed

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt, then add in flour and pistachios and mix well. Press evenly into bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, gently pressing dough down with the back of a spoon after 15 minutes if it inflates. Remove and lower oven to 300 degrees.
2. Make the filling: whisk together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla, then whisk in the labneh until smooth. Pour filling into the hot crust and bake for 15-20 minutes, until set but still a bit jiggly in the middle. Cool completely on a rack. If not serving at this point refrigerate.
3. Make the candied kumquats, if using. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the sliced kumquats, boil for 1 minute, then drain and transfer to an ice bath. Drain again. In skillet, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, then add the kumquats in a single layer and simmer over low heat until softened and most of the sugar mixture has evaporated, 30-45 minutes. Place candied kumquats on parchment to set.
4. Make the caramel. Bring water and sugar to a boil over medium heat without stirring. When sugar is dissolved and mixture is a deep reddish amber color (after about 8-10 minutes), whisk in the fruit juice, brandy, and vanilla and keep stirring until all sugar is dissolved and the mixture reduces a bit. Add a pinch of salt if you'd like, and set aside to cool slightly.
5. When ready to serve, pour the cooled caramel (reheated if necessary to pourable consistency) over the tart and spread evenly. Garnish with candied kumquats and any leftover ground pistachio. Slice and serve.

Notes:

• Kumquats aren't always available and can be expensive when they are, so buying in the quantity I used may not be an option for you. A quick online search also shows they are in season during November-March, so if you don’t live somewhere where they are still growing, they will definitely be unavailable. If that is the case, a substitution with a blend of orange and lemon juices should work here.
• I'm not sure of the quantity of kumquats I needed to yield 1/4 cup juice but it was a lot, at least 4 or 5 cups worth of whole kumquats. If you don't know anyone with a kumquat tree and you'd like to use less, you can blend the whole kumquats (removing the seeds first) into a puree and stir that into the caramel. It will be sweeter than using just the juice and need fewer kumquats. I chose not to do this because I wanted a less pulpy caramel sauce, and I wasn't lacking for kumquats.
• The caramel sauce is finished with fruit juice instead of butter or cream, so it isn’t as rich as you may be used to. I also reduced mine down a bit after mixing, which thickened it up but also possibly activated the pectin in the citrus because my cooled caramel sort of jellied. No worries if this happens though, as a quick reheat will bring it back to a pourable consistency.

Pesto Ricotta Pizza with Squash Blossoms

Sometimes I feel as though all I talk about here is the weather, so forgive me, but living in the Bay Area, it feels most of the time like we don't have any real seasons. The temperature fluctuates along a 20-degree range for most of the year, with the highs usually occurring in January and the lows in what is supposed to be summer. After a while, you get used to the lack of "normal" seasons and it can be easy to just give up looking for the signs that signal a shift from one to the next. 

But nature finds a way to remind us what's up, and even here in California, where we can eat most produce year round without guilt, there are a few special items that only arrive once a year to remind us that seasons are still very much a thing. I'm thinking of the two weeks in Summer when cherries are flooding the produce aisle or the even later month when Summer shifts to fall and concord grapes make their heady, sticky appearance. 

And now, as we head into mid-April, squash and zucchini blossoms are making their annual appearance, and I can stop looking for signs of Spring in plastic eggs and marshmallow bunnies. Instead, these long, green blooms with their flame-tipped crowns are here to announce that maybe the never-ending rain will stop at some point (though we don't really want that) and that elsewhere in the country the days are warming up enough that someones sister keeps obnoxiously posting her al fresco post-work chill time on Instagram. She can stop now.

As I have neither a porch nor much sunshine here I'll just content myself with my squash blossoms, and they are something to be grateful for in their own right. In the past I've stuck with a classic preparation and stuffed them with ricotta before battering and deep frying. That is certainly a delicious way to go, but with a delicate, subtle flavor, they lend themselves well to any dish that doesn't threaten to overwhelm them, and so this year I decided to pair them with ricotta on a pizza instead, topping a thin spread of pesto and finished with a gentle rain of lemon zest.

The result was 6 slices of doughy, herby, cheesy Spring almost too beautiful to eat, but somehow I managed. I hope you'll consider following suit.

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Pesto Ricotta Pizza with Squash Blossoms

For the Pizza:

• 1/2 recipe pizza dough (recipe below, or your favorite store bought dough or naan)
• 1/2 cup pesto (store bought is ok!)
• 5-6 oz good quality ricotta (see note)
• 6 squash blossoms
• red pepper flakes
• fresh ground black pepper
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

For the pizza dough: Adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

• 1 3/8 cup warm water
• 1 packet active dry yeast (3/4 tbs)
• 3/4 tbs kosher salt
• 1/2 tbs sugar
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1. Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, mix together yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil with the water and stir to combine. You may need to wet your hands and knead together to fully combine the last bit of flour.
2. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until dough rises and flattens on top. Dough can be used right away or refrigerated until ready to use.
3. When ready to make pizza, heat oven to its highest temperature, or at least 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone or steel place it in the oven for preheating.
4. Once oven is at temperature, prepare your dough. Dust the surface of your pizza dough with flour and cut off half the dough. Dust with more flour and shape dough into a ball by stretching the top of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotating as you go. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper and flatten, then use a rolling pin or your hands to flatten into a 1/8 inch thick round. Transfer the parchment to the backside of a cookie sheet or a pizza peel. 
5. Assemble the pizza: Spread the pesto in a thin layer across the dough, leaving a 1/2-1 inch border. Dollop with the ricotta and arrange squash blossoms on top. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste.
6. Use the cookie sheet to carefully slide the parchment and pizza onto your preheated pizza steel or stone. Bake for about 13 minutes, until dough is bubbled and well browned. Using a long pair of tongs, pull the edge of the parchment paper to guide the pizza back onto the cookie sheet or a cutting board. Sprinkle with lemon zest and juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Cut pizza into slices and serve hot.

Notes:

• This is not the time to skimp on the good ricotta. You are only using a few ounces so get the good stuff. I found an excellent buffalo milk version at my grocery store, but anything made with whole milk and located in the specialty cheese area is probably a good bet.
• If using store bought dough or naan, skip step 4.
• The pizza dough recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas, so double up on toppings or save half the dough for another pizza. The dough keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, loosely covered, developing flavor all the while.

Lemon Thyme Cake

Hello! Tea and Fog is officially back! I have returned from blog vacation refreshed and somewhat blonder! That last part has no bearing on the food but sure is fun.  I tentatively dipped my toe back in the blogging waters with my Palm Springs post a couple weeks ago, but as of today I'm back with more recipes for your enjoyment, starting with a celebratory cake! 

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I was going to call this a Three Lemon Thyme Cake, because I planned for it to include three types of lemons, but my Whole Foods remains reliable in its unreliableness.

Where were the meyer lemons, Whole Foods? Explain yourself. 

So, there are really only two kinds of lemon in this cake, and, am I the only one who doesn't really get that excited about something called a two-lemon cake?

Well, it's ok, because names are misleading, and I assure you this cake is no less wonderful even with only one lemon in the title. Because there are actually about 3 lemons in it! And thyme! And if you try really hard you can even taste the thyme!

Yeah, so I haven't perfected this particular cake yet, but it was too pretty and delicious not to share as is. The cake is lemony and perfectly baked, and the frosting isn't overly sweet, with just a hint of extra lemon, and the thyme (in theory) gives the whole thing a little herby, earthy something extra that just might make you ask, "What's that?" 

Also, those candied lemons. Don't they just look like little sunny jewels? Beyond gorgeous.

But really, to me, the element that really turns this cake into something special is the filling, a lemon curd made with - wait for it- PRESERVED LEMONS! 

I know.

Are you a little appalled? Horrified? Confused? Don't be! Excuse my blog hyperbole, but it's the most amazing lemon curd I've ever tried, seriously. The brininess of the preserved lemon juice cuts through the richness of the curd in just the right way, and sandwiching it between the layers in this cake really gives it a brightness that screams "Spring!"  I never even want to make another version of lemon curd.

Also, let's all take a moment to recognize that I made curd again. And it worked! I can now go on with my life, pretending January's blood orange disaster was all just a bad dream. Double boilers FTW.

So, remember back in February when I mentioned I had another project planned for this year? Well, it's cake! Over the past year I've dreamed up so many different cakes I want to make, and I've decided it's time! And of course, given the nature of cooking and the internet, not one of them is a wholly original idea, but they are still burning holes in my "to make" list and I hope you enjoy them!  

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Lemon Thyme Cake

Cake and frosting adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Party Cake, and Preserved Lemon Curd adapted from Melissa Clark. There are a lot of parts to this cake, but don't be put off by that! The cake, curd, and syrup can all be made ahead, and the buttercream and the candied lemons are really easier than they may sound. My original version only had thyme steeped in the buttermilk for the cake mix, but I really couldn't taste it, so you could chop up some thyme and add to the cake, or do as I've suggested below and add a thyme syrup soak. 

For the cake:

• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 1/4 cup cake flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees with the rack in middle level. Prep two, 6-inch cake pans (or 4 if you've got that many, or see note). Butter cake pans, line with a 6-inch circle of parchment, and butter the parchment, then flour the pans. Set aside.
2. Bring the buttermilk to a simmer in a saucepan, then crush the thyme sprigs between your hands and add to the milk. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for about 20 minutes. Strain out the thyme leaves then set aside to continue cooling.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Whisk the milk and egg whites together in another bowl and set aside. In the bowl of standing mixer or another mixing bowl, add the sugar and zest and rub together for a few minutes, until the sugar is fragrant and feels a bit damp. 
4. Add the butter to the sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes, then beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl, then add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half the milk mixture, and repeat until all remaining flour is added. Beat well after each addition. Beat for 1-2 more minutes until cake batter is light and well combined.
5. Divide half the batter between the 2 pans and bake for 25 minutes (or all the batter between 4 pans). Test with a toothpick for doneness. If it comes out clean, your done! Transfer pans to a cooling rack and cool cakes in the pans for 5 minutes, then invert cake layers onto the rack to cool completely, flipped back to right side up. Repeat prep process with pans and bake off remaining batter (let the pans cool first!). Once cool, cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored overnight in the refrigerator or the freezer for 2 months.

Notes:

• You can divide all of the cake batter between two pans to bake and then cut the layers in half to stack. I didn't want to do this so I baked mine off separately. If you do want to only bake 2 layers, bake for about 30-35 minutes.

For the buttercream:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Add the sugar and egg whites to a heat proof mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk continuously, about 3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is shiny and resembles marshmallow cream.
2. Remove from the heat and beat with a whisk attachment on medium speed until cool, about 5 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter, one 1/2 stick at a time, beating each addition until smooth, then beat all for 6 minutes on medium high until very smooth (the mixture may separate at this point but just keep beating, it will come together).
4. Lower speed to medium and gradually beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Set aside until ready to use, covered with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface. Don't chill or you won't be able to frost with it!

Notes:

• This makes enough frosting for a 4-layer, 6-inch, semi-naked cake. If you want to fully frost the cake, double the recipe or increase by one half.

For the Preserved Lemon Curd:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp powdered gelatin
• 1 large egg + 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 + 1/8 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/8 cup preserved lemon juice (strained from the jar)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3/8 tsp kosher salt

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/8 cup lemon juice and the gelatin, and set aside to bloom. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg and the yolks.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, butter, remaining lemon juice, preserved lemon juice, zest, and salt. Place over a pot of simmering water until very warm to the touch. Remove from the double boiler and whisk into the eggs slowly in a thin stream, whisking constantly. The goal here is to temper the eggs so they don't curdle.
3. Place the bowl over the simmer water again and cook, stirring constantly, until 175 degrees and thickened a bit, about 5-6 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until fully incorporated, then pour all through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl over an ice bath, and stir until cool. Then chill for at least one hour.

For the Thyme Syrup:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

1. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil, add the thyme and then simmer until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool. Once cool, remove the thyme.

For the Candied Lemon Slices:

• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the lemon slices. Boil for 1 minute, until softened, then drain and add lemons to an ice bath. Drain.
2. In a skillet, bring sugar and water to a boil and simmer until sugar is dissolved, then lower heat and add the lemon slices (with tongs!) in a single layer. Simmer on very low heat until syrup mixture has evaporated and lemons are coated and starting to color just a bit.
3. Remove from skillet with tongs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool. 

To assemble the cake:

1. Level off each of the cake layers. Starting with the first layer, brush on the thyme syrup, then pipe an edge of frosting around the edge, then spoon in the curd to fill. Stack on the next layer and repeat, until you have stacked on your top layer. You may need to pop the layers in the refrigerator to set up a bit between stacking.
2. Frost the sides and top of cake with the remaining buttercream however you wish. Then decorate with candied lemon slices and a few time sprigs, if desired.