The Communal Table

I celebrated my first Thanksgiving and my first birthday on the same day – November 22, 1962. Since then, the fourth Thursday of November and my birthday have coincided six more times. Growing up I didn’t think this was a particularly good thing. We had a family tradition that the birthday kid got to choose the menu on their big day but, unfortunately for me, Thanksgiving always trumped birthdays. I wanted pizza and ice cream and cake and candles; not turkey and brussels sprouts. The issue resolved itself in 1974 when we moved to Canada and started celebrating Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.

This year I missed out on Thanksgiving with my family in Canada. Instead, I was on my own enjoying the culinary wonders of Paris. I marked the holiday by feasting on the best hot dog on the planet.

But I’m not going completely cold turkey on turkey. Instead, I’m joining up with The Food Network to celebrate a virtual Thanksgiving. Like all good dinner guests, we are all bringing something to the Communal Table – recipes, photos, tips, memories and holiday stories.

Golden Delicious Apples in a Bowl

My contribution to the virtual feast is a wonderful Puff Pastry Apple Tart (since you can never have too many desserts at the table). It’s loosely based on a recipe that I learned to make at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Le Cordon Bleu recipes aren’t exactly recipes. They are just a list of ingredients. It’s up to the student to make their own notes on technique, cooking times, temperature, etc. The original tart recipe involved making puff pastry from scratch but since most of us live in the real world, my version starts with frozen puff pastry. (Just be sure you buy one that says all butter or real butter since there are plenty of brands out there that don’t include any butter at all. When in doubt, check the ingredients listed on the box.)

Puff Pastry Apple Tart

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
3 medium Golden Delicious apples
1/3 cup honey
sprinkle of vanilla powder*
icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry and roll out to a 12″ x 12″ square
Place the puff pastry on the baking sheet and pierce it all over with a fork
Peel and core apples, cut them in half, then slice them very thin
Arrange slices on the pastry
Drizzle with honey
Sprinkle with vanilla powder (if you prefer, you can substitute cinnamon for the vanilla powder)
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until apples are tender and pastry is golden brown
Let cool slightly, then garnish with powdered sugar and serve with a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

*Vanilla powder is popular in France where it’s made from 100% crushed vanilla beans. If you can’t find it in your area, you can order it online at the Vanilla Food Company. You can also make your own by drying vanilla pods in a slow oven (about 250° F) until they are dry enough to snap; about 45 minutes. Once they’ve dried, use a spice grinder or food processor to grind them into a powder.