A few months ago, we tasked our Test Kitchen chef, Eric Dantis, with creating a recipe for the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Recipe Challenge. Here is his entry.

With summmer corn and tomatoes only weeks away, here’s the recipe. This is a dish to make if you are looking to impress your guests:

TOMATO WELLINGTON OVER A SALAD OF DUCK CONFIT

Ingredients

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat the vinegar, salt and sugar in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir in the apple and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Place the tomatoes, cut-side down, onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the garlic. Arrange the thyme over the tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil.
4. Bake for 45 minutes. Let the tomatoes cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack.
5. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet to remove the fold marks. Cut the pastry sheet in quarters.
6. Place 2 tomato halves in the center of each pastry quarter. Brush the edges of the pastries with the egg. Roll the pastries around the tomatoes. Press the seam and pinch the ends to seal. Brush the filled pastries with the egg. Place the pastries onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cut the pastries in half crosswise on the diagonal.
8. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the duck leg confit and cook until well browned on all sides and heated through. Remove the duck leg confit to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Discard the bone.
9. Remove the apple from the vinegar mixture with a slotted spoon. Using a sharp knife, cut the corn from the cob.
10. Place the apple, arugula, and duck leg confit into a large bowl. Season with the black pepper. Drizzle with the remaining oil and toss to coat. Divide the apple mixture among 4 plates. Top each with 2 pastry halves, cut-side up, and sprinkle with the corn. Enjoy!

Exotic, delicious wild morels are a fleeting spring
treat. Photo by Yin Yang | IST.

While dried morel mushrooms are available year round—and are a treasured ingredient in soups, stews and sauces—this is fresh morel season.

These incredibly flavorful gifts of nature, with their earthy and woodsy aroma and flavor, have a distinctive look: a honeycombed, hollow, cone-shaped cap atop a ’shroom that ranges in size from 2 to 4 inches high. Colors vary from blonde, grey or tan to an extremely dark brown.

Morels are gathered by hand in the woods, and brought to specialty markets. Look for the #1 grade, meaning that each mushroom is a whole, young specimen with a white stem.

FOOD TRIVIA: Morels are one of the first species to colonize forests after a fire, which may explain the intense earthy, smoky and nutty flavors that characterize their taste.

Thanks to MarxFoods.com for inspiring this post.

Skewers typically can be found in different sizes: 4-inch skewers for single bites; 6-inch skewers for a multi-bite hors d’oeuvre or snack; and 10-inch skewers for main course “kebabs.”

Just peek into the fridge and you’ll find what you need to assemble healthy skewers. A combination of textures and colors always looks good:

 
Also consider ingredients for kids: hot dog chunks, cherry tomatoes and sweet pickles, for example.

Some people offer skewers with a dip, for example, with plain chicken; or mustard with ham-and-cheese skewers.

If you’re grilling wood skewers, always soak them in water for 20 minutes before assembling and grilling, to avoid charring.

Skewers can be washed and re-used.

What are your favorite foods to “skewer?”

Our favorite solution to “what to do with
the skewers.” Photo by River Soma |
THE NIBBLE.

But what happens to all the sticks when the food is consumed?

They typically lie like an unattractive pile of pick-up-sticks on the serving plate.

Here’s a better idea:

 
This tip gracefully solved an ongoing problem for us, so we especially love it!

One was for the Lightlife brand of vegan “meat” products. The other was to the opening of celebrity chef Todd English’s new restaurant.

We made plans to stop by and taste Lightlife, a product line we’d never tried, and then head to Todd English’s restaurant. Here’s how the evening turned out:

We liked the Lightlife foods so much, we stayed the entire evening, happily tasting everything. We never made it to the restaurant. Could there be a better endorsement of how good the Lightlife “vegan meat” products are?

We are neither vegetarian nor vegan. We eat everything that’s delicious, and nothing that isn’t.

Eating more vegan foods (products without any animal-based ingredients) supports our personal commitment to eating more sustainably. As much a we love meat, cheese and dairy foods, producing them takes a big toll on the planet.

The line is certified vegan and kosher by OK. Read the full review. It also explains the differences between tempeh, tofu and seitan.

If you’re looking for delicious, prepared vegan food, also see these Top Picks Of The Week: