Eating From the Ground Up

MENUMENU
  • About
  • Recipes
    • By Category

      • Bites
      • Breads and Crackers
      • breakfast
      • drinks
      • Home Dairy
      • Mains
      • On the Side
      • Pickles and Preservation
      • salads
      • Sauces, Dressings and Spreads
      • snacks
      • soups
      • Sweets
    • By Ingredient

      • apples
      • asparagus
      • Beans
      • Beef
      • beets
      • Berries
      • Broccoli and Broccoli Raab
      • brussels sprouts
      • cabbage
      • carrots
      • cauliflower
      • celeriac
      • Cheese
      • Chick Peas
      • Chicken
      • chocolate
      • corn
      • eggs
      • Fish
      • garlic
      • Grains
      • Herbs and Flowers
      • kale
      • leeks
      • lentils
      • pasta
      • pears
      • peppers
      • Pork
      • potatoes
      • Quince
      • radishes
      • rhubarb
      • stone fruit
      • summer squash
      • Tomatoes and Tomatillos
      • winter squash
      • yogurt
  • Not Recipes
    • Family
    • Politics and Activism
    • The Writing Process
    • travels
    • Kids in the Kitchen
    • My Berkshires
    • 1st of the Month
    • The Garden
  • My Books

    • Signed copies from my local bookstore
      From Amazon
      From B&N


    • From Amazon
      From B&N
      From Powell's

    • Front cover The Homemade Pantry
      From Amazon
      From Barnes and Noble
      From Indie Bound

  • Yogurt
  • contact
  • Blog

bittersweet citrus tart with jasmine cream

Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by alana

Well, It’s 6:57 in the morning, and they’re gone already. The mist is hanging on the field out there and I always can’t help but feel like it’s me starting first grade today.

As someone who writes about food and kids and all those things, I often get requests for lunch ideas. Starting today, once again, I make three lunches in little LL Bean insulated lunch boxes every day. I have no lunch ideas. I only wish you increased sanity as you peruse through the world of school lunch. My children attend a nut-free school, the big one refuses leftovers, the little one refuses vegetables, and everyone wants cheese sticks. So today, the processed foods come out and here we go. I have two suggestions. The first is that you store your tupperware or other lunch containers with the LIDS ON. Even though this takes up more space, it will save you a lot of time shouting curses at six in the morning. The other suggestion is that after they go out the door, and before you have to go to work or do whatever else you have to do in the day, make something with chocolate in it.

Oh, Alice Medrich, how I love you.
The other night, the superior and illustrious Lissa threw a party for Molly and Aurel so they they could sell all their stuff before they go back to Istanbul. I brought this tart, and although I’m usually pretty good with this, it was hard not to feel like the mother of an honor student as I walked in with it. This tart is so so good. And have you gotten your rectangular tart pan yet? I’m telling you, it’s an instant self-esteem boost. In the spirit of Julia, all of us servantless American wives can make damn good food, but a nice tart pan will make you feel just a little bit more French.

Bittersweet Citrus Tart with Jasmine Cream
from Alice Medrich, Pure Dessert

For the Topping:

1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon good quality jasmine tea
1 tablespoon maple syrup (she uses 2 tablespoons of sugar)

For the Crust:

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Filling:

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon orange zest, from unsprayed fruit
1/2 teaspoon grapefruit zest, from unsprayed fruit
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/4 cup boiling water

The day before, or earlier in the day that you are making the tart, make the infused cream. Stir the tea leaves and cold cream in a jar. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, but not more. Strain the tea leaves out of the cream and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
To make the crust:
position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Add the flour and mix until just blended. The dough will be very soft. It will firm up a bit after a few minutes, so you can let it stand if it seems unworkable.
Press the dough into your tart pan. Have patience. A spatula will help. Make sure that you really get it into the corners if you are using a rectangular pan. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake until the crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Prick with a fork if it bubbles up. Let cool completely on a rack before you even start the filling.
To make the filling:
Combine the chocolate, butter, and citrus zest in a small heatproof bowl. Set it in a wide skillet of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl and put a strainer over it. Leave the skillet on low heat.
Place the egg yolk in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the 1/4 cup of boiling water. Place the egg bowl into the skillet (this can touch the water) and stir constantly with a spatula, scraping the bottom to prevent the egg from cooking, until the mixture registers 160 degrees with a candy thermometer. Remove the bowl from the skillet and scrape the mixture into the strainer over the bowl of chocolate. Stir gently until the egg is incorporated.
Pour the mixture into the cooled tart shell and spread it evenly. Place in a covered container or cover with wax paper and chill for at leat 3 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, remove the tart from the refrigerator. Remove the tart pan sides.
Whip the infused cream, adding the maples syrup or sugar as you go. Whip it until it holds a soft shape.
Serve each piece with a dollop of cream.

Filed Under: chocolate, Sweets Tagged With: baking, tense moments

« first day
potato leek soup with sorrel »


Welcome!

I’m Alana, and I write about food, family and the wonderful chaos that ensues when the two combine. If you’re new to the site, here are a few good places to start, or learn more about me on my about page.

Follow me on Instagram.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Become a Sponsor

One_Alana_Ad 2016

alanachernila

The Homemade Pantry, The Homemade Kitchen, Eating From The Ground Up 🍳

Instagram post 2337331591407595410_13442450 Sending off my taxes today with intention and prayer that they will be used to support programs for the most vulnerable, and that my little contribution will join with others to help move us towards the country I know we can be. #taxmagic ✨
Instagram post 2335726864949371764_13442450 Goodies en route to @north_plain_farm today for pickup! Word about town is that LOTS of moolah was raised for BRIDGE in this little #bakersagainstracism bake sale. Thanks to North Plain Farm and @raisinporpoise for the organizing, to everyone who bought and bid, and most of all to BRIDGE for the essential work they do. (Want to learn more about BRIDGE? Head to the link in my profile.)
Instagram post 2332756427273440195_13442450 So technically you’re not supposed to send food when trying to find an agent, but I did it it. 10 years ago, my granola helped seal that deal, and he insisted I send it to publishers when we were selling The Homemade Pantry (another general publishing no no) That Landed-a woman-with-no-platform-a-book deal Granola is up for grabs in this amazing bake sale, as well as goodies by some of my very favorite bakers (@madeinghent , @raisinporpoise , and @thedooryard to name a few). Oh and maybe my favorite item in there are the magical @susanspungen ginger chocolate cookies I mentioned a few weeks back, made by Sadie herself. All of this is to support the work of @multiculturalbridge , and the order form is up in my bio. Get to it! #bakersagainstracism
Instagram post 2330317921708403058_13442450 My friend @afgoldfarb has been part of a team of people working on this vital project. The link to learn more and help out is in my profile.
Instagram post 2330131706816229761_13442450 I’ll be baking up a storm for this! Local bakers- there’s still room for more! Let @north_plain_farm know that you want IN.
Instagram post 2324845496300301430_13442450 To those who ask here? In Great Barrington? YES. In Great Barrington.
Instagram post 2324091364266290851_13442450 I know there are so many resources out there right now, but I want to share one that’s been really helpful for me in the last several months. There are many seasons of this podcast, but I recommend Season 2 on Whiteness as well is Season 4 on Democracy. #sceneonradio
Instagram post 2322615811734696638_13442450 Black lives matter.
Instagram post 2319329508599466327_13442450 I did not bake these cookies, as I am no longer the cookie baker in this house. But this is the second time that  Sadie has made @susanspungen ‘s Triple-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies (and also the second time I’ve talked about a recipe Sadie has made from the #openkitchencookbook), and I think these might actually be the best cookies I have ever had. I’m often looking for the perfect ginger cookie and this is it, and I’d also choose it over a chocolate chip cookie (or let’s be honest-any other kind of cookie) any day.
Instagram post 2316311882260313364_13442450 No matter how many rulers and pizza cutters and other magical tools I use, it seems that the straight line will always elude me.
Instagram post 2314127252740427104_13442450 Living it up. 💥
Instagram post 2312088043104000827_13442450 Every day my neighbor’s yard gets prettier.
Instagram post 2311325683330503572_13442450 @paulaperlis sent us @susanspungen ‘s new book and of course the first recipe Sadie picked is marked with the *project* heading. She’s been cooking all afternoon and the house smells like ✨✨✨ (With gorgeous images by @gentlandhyers ❤️)
Instagram post 2311141543964321092_13442450 When I took on a day job a few years ago, I found that the first thing to go was all the homemade stuff I’d been making and writing about over the years. I’m still going out to work most days, but I’m finding now with a full and captive house and more downtime in general that those things I love to make are back. For me, it’s granola, yogurt, bread. Hello, old friends!
Instagram post 2308503311808232748_13442450 All the things in the house pasta: roasted cauliflower, a few sad leaves of kale, one jar of fancy tuna saved for a special occasion (how about Wednesday?), Rosemary, homemade breadcrumbs from the freezer fried in butter, crispy sage leaves, pasta water, salt, so much pepper. Success!
Instagram post 2307412630968777107_13442450 @artbywoodgy made this beautiful thing for me for Mother’s Day. All the veggies are on Velcro so I can plan to my hearts delight.
Instagram post 2306345003953662730_13442450 Happy Mother’s Day to my brave and beautiful mom, who birthed two different humans in such different times in her life. With me she was so young, and she figured it all out just as she was learning how to be an adult. This picture was taken nineteen years later, when she was pregnant again and I was almost an adult myself. Thanks for keeping at it, Mom, and for always showing up with love. ❤️
Instagram post 2304888771283579843_13442450 What we do for cake.
Instagram post 2302665269449083186_13442450 It’s a magnolia year for sure.
Instagram post 2295808104927071821_13442450 A long time ago, Joey talked about his crush on this particular alien-like flower with a good friend of ours. Months later, little bulbs arrived in the mail. We put them in the ground last fall, and now they are everywhere. If that isn’t some kind of magic, I don’t know what is. ✨ (🙏🏻 to @wildflowers1 for the cool vase, too.)
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

My books!

Signed copies from my local bookstore/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Front cover The Homemade Kitchen

Amazon /B&N /Powell's


Front cover The Homemade PantryAmazon
B&N
Powell's


Tense moments

failed cornbreadPan shattered in the oven? Jelly didn’t set? Trying to find a solution for a problem in the kitchen? Let’s get through the tense moments together, starting here.

Classes and workshops

My latest book!

Learn more about my latest book, Eating from the Ground Up. It's perfect for all you vegetable lovers out there.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

COPYRIGHT © 2025 EATING FROM THE GROUND UP.