by Suvir Saran
To finish the tarts: Place the cooled tart shells on your worksurface. Brush the bottom and sides of the tart shells with the melted chocolate. Scrape the peanut butter into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe the peanut butter around the edge of each tart crust (where the sides meet the bottom). Pipe another circle around the center of the tart shell bottom. Sprinkle half of the roasted peanuts into the bottom of the tarts. Divide the caramel between the bottom of the two tarts (if it is too hard, warm it slightly so it’s pourable), sprinkle the remaining roasted peanuts over the caramel, and chill the crusts for about 20 minutes to set the caramel.
Remove the mousse from the refrigerator and whisk it to soften so it can be piped. Fill another clean pastry bag fitted with a round tip with the chocolate mousse and pipe small dots on top of each tart so that the filling beneath the mousse doesn’t show at all. Sprinkle the butter toffee peanuts between the two tarts and chill until serving.
If you plan to freeze one tart, once the tart has chilled, wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap and place it in a resealable 1-gl/3.8-L freezer bag (you may need to use more than one bag to completely enclose the tart). Freeze for up to 2 weeks and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Farmhouse Basics
These are the ingredients and basic recipes that are in constant play in our kitchen. I call for them throughout the book and find them indispensable.
Asafetida
Pungent asafetida smells like a cross between onion and garlic and comes from the root of a plant. Ground into a powder, it is used in minuscule amounts to flavor food almost as you might use garlic or onion powder. It is available at Indian markets and online (see Farmhouse Resources). If you don’t have any on hand, don’t let it stop you from making a recipe—just omit it.
Chaat Masala
This is one of my absolute favorite spice blends. Chaat masala commonly includes spices like cayenne, cumin, coriander, garam masala, ginger, ground fennel, carom seed (ajwain), asafetida, paprika, dried mint, black pepper, and black salt (sanchal) among other spices. In Hindi, the word chaat literally means “to lick,” referring to chaat masala’s combination of spices that absolutely induces salivation. It is most commonly sprinkled over small dishes of crunchy, cooling snacks called chaat—a few classics are papri chaat, an amazing combination of crunchy lentil wafers, chickpeas, sweet-sour tamarind chutney, boiled potatoes, tangy plain yogurt, and bhel puri. Chaat masala is wonderful sprinkled over grilled corn and finished with a squeeze of lime juice, or sprinkled over sweet- potato fries. It’s available in Indian markets or online (see Farmhouse Resources).
Cheese
We always have on hand a large selection of locally made artisanal cheeses for snacking, cheese boards, and cooking (see Farmhouse Resources, for North Country cheesemakers). From hard cave-aged cheese to fresh cheese, brined cheese to soft-rind cheese, we love it all, especially the crottins, wedges, and logs crafted by our beloved cheesemaker friends and neighbors. Feel free to substitute any like-minded artisanal cheese for any quantities called for in the book. For example, we might use Consider Bardwell Farm’s Manchester goat cheese instead of the aged cheddar in the Summer Tomato Pie or sheep’s milk ricotta instead of chèvre in the Goat Cheese and Herb Frittata.
Crème Fraîche
There is nothing like the silky texture and tang of homemade crème fraîche. Making it is quite simple—Charlie likes starting with a little bit of leftover crème fraîche from the last batch if he has it. If not, he starts fresh following this recipe.
3 cups/720 ml heavy cream
1 cup/240 ml buttermilk
Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
Place the cream, buttermilk, and lemon juice (if using) in a medium saucepan over low heat and heat until the mixture has lost its chill and is warm to the touch (do not microwave the liquid). Pour it into a glass bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and then place a plate on top of the towel. Set aside in a warm (approximately 70°F/20°C) spot for 24 hours. Remove the plate and kitchen towel, whisk the crème fraîche, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 4 cups/960 ml.
Curry Leaves
Curry leaves, which look like small, shiny bay laurel, have a citrusy flavor that unfortunately has no substitute. You can almost always find them in Indian markets and even sometimes in natural foods stores. Buy them in bulk and freeze them to use later—they’ll stay fresh for 4 to 6 months frozen. If using frozen curry leaves, use about 1½ times the quantity of fresh.
Dried Red Chiles
I use a lot of whole chiles in my food—more to add warmth than spice (it’s the seeds that add spice—keeping chiles whole keeps the lid on the heat). You can always reduce the quantity of chiles called for in a recipe to what your preference is.
Herbed Chèvre
Cheese is a seasonal product, and Charlie refuses to let the last beautiful crottins of fresh chèvre slip past us without preserving several rounds to get us through autumn and the first few weeks of winter.
2 cups/480 ml good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
A few sprigs each of fresh oregano, thyme, and winter savory
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp whole mixed peppercorns
Three to four 8-oz/225-g rounds fresh goat’s milk chèvre
Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan. Add the fresh herbs, chiles, bay leaves, and peppercorns and warm over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Simmer until fragrant, 1 minute, turn off the heat, and set aside to cool completely.
Place one crottin of cheese into a large sterilized jar (see “Canning Chutney” for information about how to sterilize jars) and cover with some of the cooled herb-infused oil. Repeat with each crottin and more oil, ending with the remaining oil, herbs, and spices. Seal the jar, date it, and store in a cool, dark place to cure for at least 1 month before opening. The cheese can remain preserved for up to 3 months. Makes 3 or 4 rounds of herbed chèvre.
Herbes de Hebron
Our herb garden flanks the side entrance to the house, greeting guests even before Charlie or I do. We couldn’t stop ourselves from planting all kinds of lovely herbs, from simple chives and mint to more exotic lemon verbena and lavender. Throughout the summer and into the fall, we collect the fresh herbs and bundle them, then hang them to dry from a peg in the entryway. Using your own dried herbs will elevate the flavor of your food beyond what you could ever hope for. This is my take on herbes de Provence, a blend of flavors used in the French countryside on everything from chicken to lamb and in soups and salads. For a finer texture, you can pulse the blend once or twice in a small food processor, spice grinder, or, if you have patience and resilience, a mortar and pestle.
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried lavender
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried summer savory
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place the herbs in a small bowl and mix to combine. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, and dark spot for up to 6 months. Makes about 1/3 cup/20 g.
Garam Masala
Garam masala is perhaps the most well-known Indian spice blend (aside from curry powder). It’s a northern spice, used in places like New Delhi and the Northern Plains, where the winters are harsh. The spices used in this mix—cinnamon, cloves, and chiles— have a warming effect, making the addition of garam masala to recipes not just delicious but useful too.
1-in/2.5-cm cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
4 bay leaves
¼ cup/4 g cumin seeds
1/3 cup/6 g coriander seeds
6 whole green cardamom pods
2 whole brown cardamom pods
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp whole cloves
1 dried red chile
¼
tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground mace
Heat the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, and chile in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the cumin becomes brown, 2½ to 3 minutes.
Transfer the spices to a baking sheet to cool. Once cooled, transfer the spices to a spice grinder, coffee mill, or small food processor, add the nutmeg and mace, and grind to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Ghee is the clarified butter of India made by melting butter, letting the milk solids settle to the bottom of the pan, and then spooning off the golden liquid, leaving the milky whey behind. Ghee is quite expensive, and in India food is often cooked in oil instead and then ghee is stirred in at the end, used almost like a spice to flavor the dish. Because of its long cooking process, ghee doesn’t need to be refrigerated and can be stored in a moisture-free, dark, and cool environment after opening. To make your own clarified butter, simply melt butter in a pot, turn off the heat, let the milk solids settle, and then spoon the yellow melted butter off the top.
Green Chutney
There are a few homemade chutneys that I am never without—haree chutney is one of them (tamarind chutney and tomato chutney are two others). It’s amazing with anything and everything, giving even the most simple dish a beautiful, fresh, and incredibly bright flavor. In the summer, I’ll add ¾ cup/180 ml plain yogurt for a refreshing creamy chutney.
1½ cups/25 g firmly packed fresh cilantro
½ cup/8 g firmly packed fresh mint leaves
4 scallions, white and light green parts only
2 or 3 fresh green chiles (like jalapeños or serranos), stemmed and roughly chopped (seeded for less heat)
2-in/5-cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ cup/60 ml water
Place the cilantro, mint, scallions, chiles, ginger, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and water in a blender and purée (it doesn’t purée smoothly—you’ll have to stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the blender jar often) until completely smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Makes 1½ cups/355 ml.
Mayonnaise
Homemade mayonnaise is an entirely different species when compared to store-bought mayo. Creamy, rich, and wonderful, it’s dangerously delicious!
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp Dijon mustard, at room temperature
2/3 cup/160 ml canola or grapeseed oil
½ cup/80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp Champagne vinegar
1 tsp Boyajian lemon oil
½ tsp freshly ground pepper (preferably mixed peppercorns, but black pepper is fine)
Kosher salt
Place the egg yolk and mustard in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the canola oil and olive oil into a large measuring cup and drizzle them in, a small amount at a time, while whisking constantly, to create an emulsion. As the mixture gets thick, creamy, and more voluminous, you can add a little more oil at a time until all of the oil is added. Whisk in the honey, vinegar, lemon oil, and pepper. Season with salt, cover with plastic wrap (or transfer to an airtight container), and chill until serving. The mayonnaise keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes about 1¼ cups/300 ml.
Oil
I keep several types of oils in my kitchen: good-quality extra-virgin olive oil, of course, lovely for roasting and finishing; neutral-flavored oil for blooming spices and pan-frying—I like canola oil, grapeseed oil (which also has a high burn point, making it useful for deep frying), and vegetable oil; peanut oil is my oil of choice for deep frying. Its high smoke point makes for the crispest, cleanest-tasting fries.
Panch Phoran
This is a whole-spice blend that is similar to garam masala, except that panch phoran adds texture as well as flavor. While it is most often used whole, panch phoran can be pulverized in a spice grinder or by using a mortar and pestle and added to curries like the Shrimp and Sweet Corn Curry.
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp nigella seeds
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
Mix together and store in an airtight container for up to 1 year. Makes 5 tbsp/25 g.
Raita
Simple, soothing, healthful, and delicious, this is a staple at our home.
1¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
2½ cups/600 ml plain yogurt
1 small cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, finely chopped
2 fresh green chiles (like jalapeños or serranos), very finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint, or tsp dried mint
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup/10 g finely chopped fresh cilantro
Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a small frying pan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan often, until they’re fragrant and the cumin is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spices to a small plate to cool and then grind them using a spice grinder or coffee mill.
Whisk the yogurt in a large bowl until it’s smooth. Stir in the cucumber, onion, tomato, chiles (if using), and mint. Stir in the toasted spices and the cayenne. If serving immediately, stir in the salt and finish with the cilantro. Or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring in the salt and cilantro just before serving. Makes about 3 cups/710 ml.
Salt
I use kosher salt or sea salt for cooking, fine salt for baking, and flaky sea salt (like Maldon) for finishing. According to my good friend Amy Myrdal Miller, the program director of strategic initiatives at the Culinary Institute of America, we perceive things as saltier when there is salt on the surface of the food rather than baked into it. The example she likes to use is potato chips versus crackers. Crackers are perceived to be much less salty than potato chips, but, in fact, chips often have less salt than crackers! That’s why I like to use kosher salt in cooking (it’s coarser than table salt and it is easy to control the amount when sprinkled into food) and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt (which has slightly less sodium chloride than table and kosher salts). If I’m cooking for someone with health issues who has to watch his/her salt intake, I know I can reduce the amount of salt in the process of cooking and season the food just before serving. The difference in taste is only slightly detectable, but the difference in your health can be exponential.
Sambhaar Powder
The southern Indian equivalent to garam masala, this blend tastes the most like what Americans and those across the pond might call “curry powder.” I hold back on the amount of pungent fenugreek, but for a stronger and more traditional flavor, double it.
3 dried red chiles
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp urad dal (white lentils)
1 tbsp channa dal (yellow lentils)
2 tsp roughly ground black pepper
40 fresh curry leaves (see Farmhouse Basics); optional— only use fresh curry leaves, not frozen)
Place the chiles, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, urad dal, channa dal, pepper, and curry leaves (if using) in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat and toast, shaking the frying pan often, until the mustard seeds begin to pop, 3½ to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate to cool and then grind in a coffee mill or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Makes about ¾ cup/60 g.
Tamarind Chutney
Sweet, sour, and addictive, tamarind chutney is like the barbecue sauce of India. I
make it using tamarind concentrate, which lasts for ages in the refrigerator. It’s available at ethnic markets and online (see Farmhouse Resources). This chutney can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks—not that it will last that long.
1 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp asafetida (see Farmhouse Basics); optional)
½ tsp Garam Masala (See Farmhouse Basics)
2 cups/240 ml water
1¼ cups/250 g sugar
3 tbsp tamarind concentrate
Heat the canola oil, ginger, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cayenne, asafetida (if using), and garam masala in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the cumin is fragrant and lightly toasted, shaking the pan often, about 1 minute. Whisk in the water, sugar, and tamarind concentrate until it is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the sauce turns dark brown and is thick enough to leave a trail on the back of a wooden spoon, 20 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside (it will thicken as it cools). Makes about 1 cup/300 ml.
Toasted Cumin
Keep a small container of toasted cumin in your spice cabinet at all times. It adds a beautiful nuttiness to everything from vegetables to chili, guacamole, and spice rubs.
½ cup/8 g cumin seeds
Place the cumin seeds in a large frying pan over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan often, until the cumin turns brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the seeds to a large plate to cool. Once cool, grind in a spice grinder to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry spot for up to 4 months.