For a host of reasons this is the first year I've lapsed in keeping kosher for Passover. At least my sister isn't either, which alleviates the guilt a bit.
Made in just the nick of time before Passover began, the strawberry tart pictured here was H's great effort to test out the tart pastry method from the New Best Recipe. Luscious Gaviotas and plenty of eggs and cream assured that this treat would be well appointed. TBR's pastry cream is also much denser and creamier than the How to Cook Everything recipe, which relies more on corn starch for congealing and creates a more gelatinous filler. We definitely prefer this version and its glaze of melted currant jelly. Good strawberries taste even more fabulous with this Tobin James dessert wine Pascal and Erika gave us (blanking on name now).
I was hungry, lazy but wanted to cook something, and my options were a couple heads of cauliflower or sugar snap peas. The former made for a nice, rich soup. Here's where the un-kosher sin comes in. To avoid the often dull nature of cauliflower soups, some diced bacon fried in the cast iron pot before I added the broth and cauliflower did the trick. I reserved the bacon bits and then put them back in after the soup was pureed.
I might have overdone it with the smoky flavor, but it tastes even better today. Now what the soup and religious transgression need are some croutons.
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