Monday, March 14, 2011

Saturday supper: BBQ and an apple tart

Happy Pi Day!  I suppose it's fitting that today's blog post describes the apple tart I baked on Saturday afternoon for a BBQ I attended that evening.  I'm very familiar with this tart recipe from Amanda Hesser (who else?), having used it multiple times last summer when peaches and plums were a-plenty; I did try it with apples once before and knew it worked just as well.  For Saturday's tart, a doubled recipe in a 9x13 pan, I used six Gala apples and six Granny Smith apples, all from Trader Joe's.  The peeling and slicing took a while, but other than that the preparation was very straightforward.

There were eight other people at the BBQ, and it was a tasty and fun affair.  Thanks the highly competent and generous efforts of kitchen and grill masters Caitlin and Jeff, respectively, we enjoyed Israeli couscous, hot dogs and burgers (both beef and vegetarian), Korean BBQ (pork and maybe also beef), and grilled vegetables.  There was also a variety of drinks ranging from Calpico to beer.  We finished with the apple tart, which was warmed nicely by placing the pan on the grill.  One of Jeff's friends even unexpectedly told me that if med school didn't work out I could go into baking, and that he'd buy this tart.  Another person went back for seconds, an equally appreciated endorsement :-).