Roasted Carrots With Creme Fraiche & Za'atar & Roasted Plums With Honey & Whipped Cream - Tartelette (2024)

19.08.2014Helene Dujardin(Senior Editor) 12 Comments

It’s been a while since I visited my own blog, let alone write anything on this page. What can I say? I gave myself an unintentional break by enjoying the most of summer off line. There has been much cooking and photographing but not much free time to sit down and blog about it all. With longer days and gorgeous evenings here, there have been many impromptu dinners al fresco with friends, long chats with the husband in the evening and one thing leading to another…I felt a little tug at giving myself a little break from blogging. With Instagram, Twitter and Facebook so much part of our daily lives, it’s easy to rely on those to keep in touch with everyone out there.

Truth is, I miss you guys. If you are still around. I miss being here and letting my thoughts take shape through the keyboard. Work is busy and can take the fun out of a few hours spent editing and sharing recipes and pictures. Balance. Always something to strive for. Nothing makes me happier than cooking a bunch on the weekend and photographing dishes for a future post and then the routine sets in and that post takes a back seat. One week, two weeks and soon turns into almost three months…

Needless to say, I have a whole bunch of recipes and photos to share with you!

Weekly visit to the amazing farmers market we have here in Birmingham often result in simple yet delectable recipes and musings in the kitchen.

Our favorite snack on the weekend early this summer was market fresh carrots, briefly roasted served with creme fraiche and a good sprinkle of za’atar. Our current favorite dessert is roasted plum with local honey and a dollop of soft whipped cream.

Roasted Carrots With Creme Fraiche & Za’atar (serves 2 to 4)

Ingredients:

1 bunch carrots (I like multi color ones for visual appeal)

coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup creme fraiche

2 teaspoons za’atar (see here for description, I get mine at Penzey’s)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F (or grill to high).

Wash and peel the carrots, cut them in half. Place them on a single layer, cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with the olive oil and one teaspoon of za’atar. Roast or grill until brown on the outside (about 20 minutes). Let cool to room temperature. Place on a serving platter, sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of za’atar and serve with crem fraiche.

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Roasted Plums With Honey and Whipped Cream (serves 4)

Ingredients:

12 plums

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pith. Place the butter into a baking dish and place in the oven for about 5 minutes or long enough to melt the butter. Remove from the oven. Place the plum halves over the melted butter and drizzle with the honey. Bake until the plums are soft and slightly brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the whipped cream.

In a clean bowl, either with a hand held mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to soft peaks. With a spatula, fold in the sugar. Serve with the plums and pan juices while they were cooking.