The cooking begins!

Well I’ve been back for 3 days now and already so much has happened.  Every time I come home, I feel like I never left.

As usual, I didn’t sleep at all on the flight home, so when I arrived in LA at 6:45 am, it was bedtime according to my body clock.  I struggled as much as I could to stay up, but I succumbed to a small nap in the afternoon.  Luckily, I still ended up sleeping about 12 hours that night, and I think I’ve sort of beat the jetlag already.

Last night my family threw a little welcome home party for me.  My mom and I decided to cater the event, and everything turned out wonderful.  The menu included guacamole, corn salsa, spinach and artichoke dip, grilled chicken and shrimp, cheddar chive biscuits, roasted vegetables, grilled corn, and a fresh berry tart.  Needless to say we were cooking all day long to prepare.  I have to say the tart was the hit of the party.  I borrowed the recipe from Paula Deen and thought I’d share it with you all to enjoy.  Pretty simple, and unbelievably delicious.

Fresh Fruit Tart:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries

Glaze:

• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball.  I didn’t have a food processor, so I had to mix by hand and add a tablespoon of water.  With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. She says to bake for 10 to 12 minutes, but I had to bake it quite a bit longer than that (I may have had it on a lower rack).  Keep an eye on it until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut your strawberries in half and arrange the fruit however you like.  This is the fun creative part of the dish!

For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.

Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy a few photos of food I’ve taken since I arrived back!

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen.

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