Bacon and Date Tart

 Success! This Puff Pastry Tart with bacon, dates, blue cheese, greens and a balsamic reduction made a delicious open-faced appetizer.

Cover the tart with it's own lid and presto! it's a sandwich ready for "ladies who lunch".


In early March I vowed to recreate a dish from our SW road trip, Cafe Bink's savory tart. (see here) It has taken weeks to follow through on that public declaration. So why the delay? The various components, taken one by one, seemed manageable. 

• Create a balsamic reduction - check, did that. (see here)  
• Bacon, cheese and greens - chilling in the refrigerator.
• Sweet California medjool dates - stored in the pantry.
• Puff pastry - no way, not going to happen! Have you ever read through a recipe for puff pastry? It is daunting. It takes so much butter, and effort, not to mention time and patience. 

Thoughts of this tart have darted around in my mind for weeks, nagging me to find the courage to tackle puff pastry. In the end, I gave up and bought a package of Trader Joe's frozen puff pastry sheets. I'll face my puff pastry fear some other day.

Below are the brief directions I used in my first attempt to capture those remembered flavors.

Bacon and Date Tart

inspired by a tart served at Cafe Bing, Cave Creek, AZ

1 sheet of puff pastry, rolled 1/8-inch thick, divided into 3 rectangles
3-4 thick slices cooked bacon (not maple-flavored), in 1/2-inch dice
8-10 soft medjool dates, chopped into small dice
a handful of blue cheese crumbles
a handful of arugula or other small greens
balsamic vinegar reduction with a bit of honey and rosemary added

1. Bake the pastry pieces according to package directions. Cool on a wire rack.
2. Slice each pastry in half horizontally, separating top from bottom (or leave whole for a thicker tart base)
3. Distribute the bacon, dates and cheese over the pastry bottom (if you separated top and bottom). Use a squirt bottle or spoon to decoratively drizzle the balsamic reduction over all. Finish with a sprinkle of greens. 
4. Cover with the pastry top (if you separated top and bottom). Slice into pieces and plate.

Notes: 

• For this first attempt I used only 1 of the rectangles cut from the single sheet of puff pastry. I separated the top from bottom and cut each piece into thirds; then made 3 little sandwiches using a total of 1 1/4 slices of cooked bacon, 3 dates, about 3 tablespoons of cheese, and 6-9 pieces of lettuce.
• Next time I will reduce the honey and balsamic reduction even further, to a thicker, more syrupy consistency. There should be ribbons of balsamic reduction running across the plate, not dots or puddles.

What happened to the remaining 2 rectangles of puff pastry? They made really fabulous black pepper cheese straws that disappeared quickly. 

I love puff pastry, when someone else makes the dough.

Mexican Pork with Poblano Peppers

... it was a dark and stormy night. No, actually it was a damp and dismal day, the kind of day when only a fragrant kitchen would improve the afternoon. What is more appealing than the smell of roasting peppers? or more tantalizing than the sizzle of onions and garlic? You see where I'm heading with this, right? Southwest something! The refrigerator and freezer held a variety of protein choices, and any of them would have worked with chiles, onions and garlic. I think cardboard might even taste good with this sauce, but I chose pork. Mexican Pork with Poblano Peppers, yum.

In the midst of chopping, slicing and organizing my ingredients, I broke into giggles and turned to check the computer. Sure enough, last year around the same time I grumbled about March Madness (my own version, not the basketball tournament). The 2010 post was about chile verde, another tasty pork and poblano recipe. The two recipes showcase similar ingredients, but the preparations create different results. RL prefers this year's dish... a very diplomatic choice on his part. I'll share the recent recipe, this newly-declared favorite that's delicious, and quite a bit speedier to prepare. 

Mexican Pork with Poblano Chili

Based on Rick Bayless' Puerco a la Mexicana in Mexican Everyday

Serves 4


2 large fresh poblano chiles
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 medium onion, in 1/4-inch slice or medium chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 small jalapeno, minced (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 can beef broth
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1/2 cup frozen corn (I like Mexicorn with peppers and beans)


Optional accompaniments: fresh cilantro, avocado slices, shredded cheese, warm tortillas, salsa verde, etc.

1. Place the peppers on a foil-covered sheet; roast about 4 inches below a preheated broiler element; turn regularly, until blistered and blackened on all sides. Remove peppers from the oven, cover with a kitchen towel and cool until you can handle them comfortably. While the peppers cool...
2. Pat the meat dry using paper towels, then salt all over. Heat the oil in a large skilled over medium-high heat; add the meat cubes in a single layer; stir and cook until browned on all sides. Do NOT overcrowd the pan or you will stew the meat instead of browning it. Use a strainer or slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan; set aside on a plate. (You want to leave as much oil/grease in the pan as possible.) Don't wipe out the pan, but set it aside.
3. Rub the charred skin off the chiles; remove stems, seeds and veins. Cut the peppers into 1/4-inch strips, about 3-inches in length.
4. Reheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion pieces; stir and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapenos and poblano strips; cook and stir briefly until fragrant. Then add the drained tomato bits, beef broth, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the meat and corn to the pan; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the pork is just cooked through (still pink in the middle). This will just take a few minutes - don't overcook the pork.
6. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve in a bowl, with your choice of accompaniments.

Notes:
 * I served the sauced pork in crispy, oven-baked tortilla shells. Oops! The bottoms grew soggy and they were not knife and fork friendly. Impractical, but they were cute and the filling was still delicious. Next time I will use bowls.
 * Chicken thighs are a good substitute for the pork, but chunks of breast meat might become too dry after the browning and simmering.