Guard Your Blogs, I'll Steal From You Too

Does this look familiar? It will if you’re a regular reader of La Tartine Gourmande. The other night I was looking for a potato recipe and I came across this recipe by Bea for a Potato, Fennel, Pear and Fourme d’Ambert Timbale. Oooh, it even sounds fancy! As amazing as Bea’s timbale sounds though, I didn’t have all of the necessary ingredients to make it. I don’t think that’s ever stopped me before, so I made a few substitutions and carried on. I also opted to rename my version a Tater Timbale, because I like alliterations and because it’s shorter than Bea’s sweeping title.

I think the reason I was most drawn to this recipe, (besides the beautiful picture on Bea's site) was because it let me use my new mandoline. It’s been sitting in its box for the past couple weeks, just dying to be used. The mandoline was a gift to myself which I deemed absolutely necessary and therefore bought it after no one else volunteered to. Luckily it was over 50% off, score! If you don’t have a mandoline, you need to get one. I was making perfectly even slices in seconds, with no effort at all. And with 3 different blades, the possibilities are endless. I sound like an infomercial, but it’s true! Once you try the mandoline you’ll want to slice everything. Nothing’s safe in my kitchen. Not even my fingers…

Don’t let my mandoline distract you though, let’s pay attention to what’s really important here; not only have I stolen Bea’s recipe, but I’m also entering it into Weekend Herb Blogging which is being hosted this week by Scott of Real Epicurean. Weekend Herb Blogging was originally started by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen, with the goal of having weekly roundups of posts featuring herbs, plants, vegetables, and flowers.



Any number of elements would have qualified this timbale for Weekend Herb Blogging; the asparagus, the fennel, the potato… But I’ve chosen to focus on the fennel because it’s probably less well known than the other two. Fennel has a flavour similar to anise, but a little more mild. And as an added bonus, you can cook with the seeds, bulb and foliage. Yes folks, fennel will give you its all and leave you wanting more. It was an excellent addition to my Tater Timbale and would be an excellent addition to your table as well.


Tater Timbale (Adapted from Bea’s Potato, Fennel, Pear and Fourme d’Ambert Timbale)
You need:
(5 ramekins, size 2.5 x 4″)
• 2 ½ lbs potatoes, half Yukon gold, half sweet potatoes
• 1 large fennel
• 1 Fuji apple
• 1 large onion
• Goats cheese and old cheddar, enough to make a layer of each in every ramekin
• 2 eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup 1% milk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• A dash of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Steamed asparagus to garnish

Steps:
• Butter your ramekins and line them with sheets of parchment paper.
• Preheat your oven at 350 F.
• Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and cook them for 5 to 7 mns in salted boiling water.
• Slice the fennel thinly and cook for 7 mins in salted boiling water.
• Peel and core the apple. Slice it thinly (add a few drops of lemon to prevent oxydation).
• Slice the onion and cook if for 10 mins in olive oil with the garlic, until soft.
• In a bowl, beat together the eggs and milk, and season with salt and pepper. Add the nutmeg.
• Line slices of potatoes around the edge of the ramekin and place a few at the bottom. Keep them tight.
• Continue with a layer of onions and a layer of fennel and pear slices and cheese.
• Continue layering until you run out of room.
• Pour in the egg batter, making sure that it goes down all the way to the bottom.
• Cook in the oven for 45 to 50 mins. Check whether the top potatoes are cooked and wait a few mins when taking out before unmolding on a plate
• Garnish with asparagus tips, (I served the rest of the asparagus separately in a balsamic vinaigrette with parmesan).

Technorati Tags:
Baking + Timbale + Potato + Fennel + Blogging Event + Weekend Herb Blogging