Pate Brisee, Plus

I love having Pate Brisee Pastry in the freezer. Actually, I love having most anything in the freezer. At the moment I have Marinara sauce, Bolognese sauce, vegetable, chicken & turkey stock, lime, orange & lemon juice (all previously frozen in ice cube trays and then bagged in Ziplocs), a turkey loaf, more pastry, chocolate chip cookies (frozen in perfect round balls-ready to bake) and some Beef Bourguignon. I like having stuff like this for those nights when I just can't muster up the energy to cook dinner.

Tonight, for X-mas eve, we are going to the neighbors and I wanted to bring a little something, even though the food is going to be plentiful. I defrosted the pastry in the fridge over night. I wanted to use the last of my goat cheese and leeks and opted to make little bite size tarts rather than one huge one. Just wanted to mix it up a little.

I shaped the tart dough in the a.m., then took off for yoga. When I got home, I popped them in the oven to cook, made the custard and sauteed the leeks. I love this recipe it is a winner every time.

• 3/4 cup whole milk

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

• salt, white pepper & pinch of nutmeg

• scatter leeks and goat cheese (4 oz.) over

baked tart shell

• mix all together and pour over leeks and goat cheese, in baked pastry shell

• 11" tart, bake for around 35 minutes at 375*

Also whipped up a pitcher of cranberry margaritas. Will blend with ice when I get there! Should be a fun evening.

• 1 1/4 cup cranberry juice

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 cup cranberries

• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 3/4 cup tequila

• 1/2 cup contreau

• 3 cups ice

• dip glasses in cranberry juice then sugar.

• blend all of the above in a blender. Add ice

and then blend to desired slushiness or serve

on the rocks.

Peace, Joy, Love