Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

I was looking for an impressive tart that wasn't overly sweet and maybe even slightly healthy. Tyler Florence's lemon blueberry cheesecake bars looked like they may be adaptable to a tart pan so I gave it a whirl. It turned out beautifully, and the combination of the buttery, crumbly crust with the sweet-tart blueberries and lemon flavor made it a special dessert.

Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Tart

Adapted from: 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/lemon-blueberry-cheesecake-bars-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

For the base:

• Butter, for greasing
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 9 graham crackers
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

For the base:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Grease a 9-inch fluted tart pan (with removable bottom) with butter. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

For the filling:

Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove fluted tart ring, dust with powdered sugar, and slice into wedges. 

Smoky Baba Ghanoush

We've been the happy recipients of many, MANY, eggplants from my mom and step-dad's CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). My step-dad is not a fan of eggplant, so throughout this growing season, we've have it coming out of our ears. My husband has an interesting technique for making his spin on baba ghanoush, that famous Levantine dish filled with eggplant, tahini, olive oil and spices. This recipe makes a small batch of the dip/spread, which is perfect for dipping crudités as an appetizer or side dish. We enjoyed the baba ghanoush with grilled chicken and zucchini.

Smoky Baba Ghanoush

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized eggplant
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2  lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• cayenne
• salt 
• pepper

Special Equipment

• grill
• food processor

Directions

Preheat your charcoal or gas grill to medium high. Slice eggplant crosswise into 1/2 inch discs (so they don't fall through the grill). Lay out the discs on a plate or cutting board, and douse liberally with olive oil, until it is soaked through. Flip over and do the other side. Grill the eggplant for approximately 3 minutes on each side over direct heat. The surface should be blackened. The smokey blackened flavor is what makes this baba ghanoush unique.

Once the eggplant is cool enough to work with, remove the skin. In food processor, process garlic clove until finely minced, add eggplant, tahini, lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add a little more olive oil to create the desired consistency. Serve room temperature or chilled. It also makes a nice spread for sandwiches or wraps.