Did I really say that the mango-blueberry galette was going to be the last thing I ever cooked in this kitchen?

Maybe it was nostalgia, maybe it was procrastination. In any case, and instead of packing, I hosted a little dinner for five last night.

The menu:

Chicken-shiitake meatballs with Chinese honey-mustard dipping sauce (a.k.a. the I’m-not-going-to-take-all-these-condiments-with-me-when-I-move-so-let’s-make-a-sauce sauce)

Orecchiette in peas and cream with crispy Serrano ham and griddled asparagus (a.k.a. orecchiette alla meat-is-expensive-so-you’re-all-getting-frozen-peas)

Stone fruit and goat cheese tart with crushed toffeed pecan brittle and lavender honey (a.k.a. the I-just-stiffed-you-on-the-meat-course-so-here’s-a-genuinely-luxurious-dessert tart)

Dessert was the real pièce de resistance, but I have photos of the first and second courses for the curious.

These little meatballs are studded with dried shiitake mushrooms that were soaked in hot water and then minced. They’re bound with just a little cornstarch, and have no breading at all. The dipping sauce is a basic honey mustard, with plenty of oyster sauce, a touch of sesame oil and a good kick of chili paste.

To make the sauce for the orecchiette: sweat chopped shallots in butter, add a bag of frozen peas and sautee until warm. Add heavy cream and ricotta and whizz to a puree with an immersion or upright blender. Push through a sieve, and the result is the prettiest, silkiest cream sauce you’ve ever seen. Serrano ham or prosciutto, fried to crisp shards in olive oil, adds texture and super-concentrated umami.

Finally, dessert: individual tarts of ripe peach and magenta plum with lobes of sharp, crumbly goat’s cheese.

I never thought I’d love making dessert as much as I do, because I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered a chocolate dessert in my life. As I was saying (pontificating?) over a game of Chinese poker last night, it may be this very lack of sugar drive that makes me a more thoughtful pastry cook. My natural preference is for savory and acidic flavors, but I know that my guests expect an indulgently sweet ending to the meal. So I compromise by putting a range of flavors and textures on the plate–sweet, sour, salty, crunchy–in contrast to the chocolate-cake-with-additional-chocolate-sauce school of dessert plating. If I am making something as rich as a pot de crème, say, I try to serve some stewed or baked fruit and crisp caramel decos on the side. It’s fussy, but I feel happy when I can serve a really bountiful plate to my friends.

To balance the acidity of the fruit and cheese, I infused honey with dried lavender and drizzled it over the tart just before serving; goat’s cheese loves woody herbs like rosemary and thyme, and I think lavender has comparable bitter notes. I also made a really big block of pecan toffee brittle, partly to crush and sprinkle over the tart, partly to soothe the post-prandial munchies that tend to strike when wine is flowing. (It all got eaten.)

Peach, Plum & Goat’s Cheese Tarts with Lavender Honey and Toffeed Pecan Brittle–Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

For the tarts:
1 17-oz box ready-rolled puff pastry
6 oz goat’s cheese (the kind that comes in a log)
2 peaches, pitted and sliced thinly
2 plums, pitted and sliced thinly
1/3 cup sugar

For the lavender honey:
1/2 cup honey
1 tbs dried lavender

For the toffeed pecan brittle:
1 cup sugar
3 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup pecans
Large pinch salt

METHOD

For the tarts:
Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions. Unfold and cut into 6 4-inch circles or squares. Place on parchment-lined baking tray.

Slice goat’s cheese into 6 equal-sized medallions. Press one into the center of each tart base.

Arrange alternating slices of peach and plum in a flower shape. When tarts are assembled, sprinkle sugar over the top of each.

30 minutes before you are ready to serve, preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm, drwith lavender honey and crushed toffeed pecan brittle.

For the lavender honey:
Place lavender and honey in a small saucepan and heat gently until honey starts to seethe. Remove from heat and allow to steep for at least an hour.

Discarding the lavender is optional. Before serving, warm slightly over the stove or in the microwave, for looser drizzling.

For the toffeed pecan brittle:
Place the sugar in an even layer in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan. Over a medium heat, allow the sugar to slowly dissolve. Stir occasionally if it seems that the heat is unevenly distributed.

When the sugar is completely liquefied, turn down the flame. Tilting and swirling the pan occasionally, watch for the color to change to a deep amber. At this point, add the butter and salt and stir vigorously until the caramel is of an even consistency. Add the pecans, stir to coat and transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray. Leave to set at room temperature.

When hardened, break off a small amount and crumble roughly for use as garnish. The remaining may be served alongside as “petit fours”, or kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, depending on climate.

Goodbye, little kitchen. You served me well.

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