Sharing the Love

[SOURCE]

I thought we had a pretty good Valentine's Day, especially considering that it fell on a Monday night, we have two kids, and we're pretty boring people. So, if you put all that aside, I would say it was a very smashing Val Day, indeed.

For dinner, we made a DE-LICIOUS mushroom and Gruyère tart with a mixed baby spinach salad tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette. Yummmmy! We love this dish and have made it at least 3 times in the past month. Seemed like a winner for a nice Valentine's meal. (You don't have to be jealous...I'll post the recipe.)

FLAKY MUSHROOM AND GRUYÈRE TARTS

(Jan 2011 Real Simple recipe)

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

10 oz. assorted mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, button, oyster, etc.), sliced

1 shallot, sliced

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)

4 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated (1 cup)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp white wine vinegar

4 oz. mixed greens (6 cups)

2 radishes, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp fresh chopped chives

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Unfold the pastry and cut it into 4 squares. Place the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet and, using a fork, prick the dough all over.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the mushrooms and shallot and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned and tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute more.

3. Dividing evenly, sprinkle the pastry squares with half the cheese, leaving a 1/2-inch border on each. Top with the mushroom mixture and remaining cheese. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 13-15 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Add the greens and radishes and toss to coat. Serve the tarts with the salad and sprinkle with chives.

Serves 4
**************************************************

Then, it was time for dessert, so we got in the car and went to Jeni's for ice cream...

PLAY ME!

We LOVE ice cream and it doesn't get better than Jeni's, I can assure you! Rather than sticking with our favorites, we opted to try a few new flavors...(descriptions courtesy of Jeni's)

Jon's pick: GOAT CHEESE w/ COGNAC FIG SAUCE

(Mackenzie Creamery, super fresh goat cheese with pockets of saucy cognac soaked figs & almonds. A lighter, more ethereal cheesecake with Courvoisier & figs.)

My pick: CHERRY LAMBIC SORBET

 (Tart and real cherry flavor, sweet lambic on the mid palate with almost bubbly texture. Finish is clean and exhilarating.)

Dylan's pick: DARK CHOCOLATE

 (Mouth-filling, palate-gripping, intense chocolate flavor with a fudge-like texture. Pleasingly dry finish.)

Aidan's pick: WILDBERRY LAVENDER (with sprinkles)

(Complex. Intense lavender with hints of exotic spices and lots of brambly berry flavors.)

All very different, but all very delicious! A good time was had by all...

We headed home, wiped sticky faces and hands, and put the kiddos to bed. Then, Jon and I had a very nice Valentine's evening alone, cuddled up together on the sofa.

Jon set up our favorite snack: a bottle of wine, sliced raw milk cheddar cheese, and some water crackers.

LAZY BONES Cabernet Franc Vintage 2009

Wine and Cheese...ooh là là

And we settled in to watch a few episodes of Episodes, which were still hanging about on our DVR, and laughed our asses off. Brilliant!

So, I guess all you need is love (of course), good company, good laughs, and good food (esp ice cream!) and you'll have a fabulous Valentine's Day! At least, we did.

Hope you did, too!