Mushroom Soup, Banana Tart
Last night, we started with mushroom soup. The Museum of Fruits and Vegetables had crimini's at $2.98/lb, so I grabbed a light pound of mushrooms and simmered them for 45 minutes with a diced onion (sauteed until soft) and a quart of veal stock. Into the food processor, reheat, salt and pepper, and finish with 2oz of sherry and a dollop of sour cream. (SUBTITLE: return to The Magic Pan)
For desert (wow! desert!) it was back to the incredibly simple, wintery fruit tarts. This time, I sliced 3 bananas and tossed them with 2T sugar, a splash of rum, and a splash of vanilla. 30 minutes in a 400°F oven, and we're all set. (Don't work to serve this hot from the oven, because I did and the tart was too hot. Let it rest 30 minutes.)