Purchased phyllo is one of my favorite ‘prepared’ foods.
For less than a euro (or a dollar) I get 12 sheets to play with.
I could, of course, make sweet things, like Baklava, but I normally make savory…. Tarts and pastries and savory strudels.
Just about anything works as long as there’s not too much liquid.
Goat Cheese, Pimiento, Spinach Tarts
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 sheets phyllo dough
- 3oz (90gr) goat cheese, sliced into 4ths a proper goat cheese: log-shaped and wrapped in paper, 1 1/2″ diameter.
- 4oz (120gr) drained pimentos or roasted red peppers, sliced
- 2oz (60gr) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
- 1/4 cup Greek olives, pitted, cut in thirds
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chives
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
- olive oil
Instructions:
- Remove 1 sheet of pastry and cover the rest. Lay the sheet out flat and brush all over with olive oil, starting with the edges and working in.
- Fold in half, brush with oil.
- Fold in half the other way, forming a square.
- Sprinkle Parmesan evenly, in a circle, leaving about an inch clear around the edges
- Mix the spinach, herbs and paprika.
- Spread half of the spinach in the center of the phyllo, covering an area wide enough for the cheese slices to lay side-by-side.
- Top the spinach with the half of the pimiento and olives.
- Lay 2 slices of goat cheese on top.
- Fold the edges of the phyllo in, covering just the edges of the filling.
- Repeat with second sheet of phyllo and remaining ingredients
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F (200C) for 12 – 15 minutes, until nicely browned
- Remove and serve.
We bought a new washer / washing machine today.
Ours quit working late Wednesday, part way through a wash cycle. I’ve had a dripping, soapy pile of half-washed clothes in the laundry sink ever since….. Awaiting resolution.
First, of course, was the attempt at repair Thursday morning, and Thursday afternoon, and a last ditch effort Thursday evening.
Mon mari wasn’t working constantly on it, but after each fix we had to run it through the cycle to test it…..
Anyway, we failed to fix it.
Replacing a washer is not something that can be delayed…. One can’t spend a few weeks doing research, shopping around, checking prices and choosing the right moment to buy. One needs a washing machine.
So we bought one.
I did a little research last night, we hooked up the trailer this morning and went shopping.
Washing machine are different here.
First, most of them are much smaller than the machines in the US. They range in size from 3 kilo (6.6 pounds) capacity to 13 kilo (28.6 pounds) capacity with the bigger sizes being quite expensive. Our old machine had a 5 kilo capacity. I had to wash our king-size bedding (sheets & pillowcases) in two loads.
Second, they’re not connected to the household hot water. The washer heats the water to whatever temperature one chooses. We don’t do: hot, warm and cold; we select the water temp ranging from 30C (86F) to 90C (really hot – 195F). Because it heats the water, energy efficiency is important.
So we got an energy efficient, higher capacity washing machine that went over our agreed on price by, ahem, a bit.
But the nice salesman said we could pay over three months with no additional charges or interest.
Okay, we decided to take it.
Simple, he said.
And it was…. By French standards.
An hour later we left with an inch of paperwork and our new washing machine. There was no money down and our first payment is sometime in May.
Buying stuff is different here, too
It has to be different … or it wouldn’t be France.
Seldom to we “plan” the buying of any new appliance.
I’m all for playing with food when it comes to phyllo and what goes it it and spinach and goat cheese has to be one of my favorite things.
Fortunately as our bathroom in France neared completion, I had the time to browse the internet and we ended up with a machine virtually identical to my one here. It was delivered at no extra charge, they carried it in and even connected it up. They were even prepared to take away the old leaky one we inherited! We were very grateful for the service as it saved a trip to Bordeaux or Angoulême.
I actually can get phyllo here in the supermarket though in most households it would be home made – a time consuming project that I would never have the patience for !!
Tanna, so very true. I could eat spinach and goat cheese every day.
Gill, If we had had more time (and patience) we could have done that. As it is – we just went to But in Bergerac. They always seem to have good promos.
Kate, I’ve watched it made on TV – can’t imagine doing it myself. So much easier to buy
This is exactly the sort of thing that I always want for lunch! Or dinner. Or breakfast.
But I’ll make the pastry myself. Ever since we read the ingredients list on the easily-found commercial puff pastry that we can get without having to ride our bikes through horrible traffic across the city, we far prefer to make our own. Ha. It’s so much easier to make it than to buy.