Mushroom & Cheddar Tart 

Thursday, February 3, 2011 -
Another Meatless Monday recipe, I was looking for something different.  I saw we had a puff pastry in the freezer and started thinking, "what can I make, other than baked brie, with the puff?"  We always have cheddar in the fridge (we are from Wisconsin after all) so I was thinking some sort of tart.  All I needed was some onion and mushroom to make the dish complete.

I began by chopping up shallots and mushrooms.  I had some oyster mushrooms and baby bellas, but you can use whatever you find on hand or at the store.  I sauteed up the shallots in some olive oil and added garlic.  Once those were softened, I dropped in the mushrooms until they were all softened.  Some seasoning was added (I believe I added garlic wine seasoning and black pepper) and I set that aside.


I had the puff pastry defrosting while I was prepping everything else, so it was ready to go when I finished up with the mushrooms.  I had rolled it out just a tiny bit and cut it into four pieces before placing it on a cookie sheet.  A note here - I didn't have parchment paper, but if I did, I would have put that down on the pan.  Instead, I very lightly sprayed the sheet and it ended up more greasy than I would have liked.  I'm sure parchment isn't needed (or the spray), but if you have, lay it down!

To prevent the puff pastry from, well, puffing up, I pierced it with a fork.  I topped it with extra sharp cheddar cheese, the mushroom mix and then a bit more cheddar.


These baked in a preheated, 350 degree oven until they were crispy and golden.  Chives add a crisp freshness to the savory tart, and I served them with a mixed green salad dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to lighten it a bit more.  Hubby was starving, but after his salad and one tart, he was surprised with how full he really was.  I even got the much anticipated "I didn't even miss the meat!" which I'm sure is due to the variety of mushrooms.  And normally, he insists on overloading his food with cheese, but each had at most one ounce and it was more than enough.  The leftovers the next day heated up great too - all around, a great meal!

What do you like to cook with puff pastry?

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Winterfest 2011 

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 -
Brewers of Indiana Guild hosted Winterfest this past Saturday and hubby and I were lucky to get tickets to the sold out event.  Held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, we knew there were going to be a lot of people craving some craft beer, and we were two of them. 

The event began at 3:00 pm for general admission (if you purchased a VIP ticket, you got in at 2:00pm) and hubs and I were in line ready to indulge.  We met up with a variety of friends throughout the day, including some of the Hoosier Beer Geeks and ladies of Sun King Brewing.  We began in the middle and sampled many of the beverages on hand.  There were some great, some good, and some eh products out there - but of course, that is all about your own preference.

The place was busy and everyone was cheerful, nosing their way through 2 oz. pours and jumping from brewery to brewery for a taste.  The winter beer garden outside was a slight cluster, so we didn't stay out there for too long except to grab a taste of Bell's Hopslam Ale.  We tried many of the 150+ brews that were available, a few that really stood out to me were:


There were many others, as well as some I didn't care for.  In addition, many of the homebrewer clubs were also presenting their beers.  And of course, pretzel necklaces and food were also being sold to curb any appetite.

Props to HBG (I think it was Rodney?) for an amazing program - I was impressed not only with the layout, which I completely built my game plan around prior to arrival (thank you for posting early!), but also with the print quality.  A great souvenir to reference what we enjoyed and what we probably won't be tasting again.

Thank you to everyone who put on this amazing event.  Looking forward to the summer months when it is a bit warmer and we can continue to enjoy brews together.  Oh, and of course, I'm looking forward to the HBGCBMTCBL this Spring!

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