We often enjoy an avocado half for breakfast, plain or with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

We also have it as a first course with lunch or dinner.

While we’ve filled the centers with everything from tuna salad to marinated cherry tomatoes to salsa and dilled Greek yogurt, we never thought of garnishing the cut rim…until we saw this photo from Bo’s Kitchen.

Now, we’re converts, using rim garnishes such as:

What would you add?

By the way: This concept also works with a DIY avocado party bar.
  

We taste a number of new products each week at THE NIBBLE. These are out choices for this week’s sharing, in alphabetical order.
 
 
1. ALPINE START INSTANT COFFEE

Starbuck’s Via instant coffee packets have a new rival: Alpine Start, for people who need a decent cup of coffee on the go.

Individual packets dissolve instantly in hot or cold water. We found the cold water option especially handy, since we often have a yen for a glass of iced coffee in our own kitchen or office (but no space in the fridge to keep a container of it).

If the free coffee at work or on an airplane tastes like sludge, or if you want convenience for travel or camping, take a sip.

The coffee is full-bodied, with this caveat: When we drank it black, we detected a bitter flavor note. When we added milk, all was rich and well, both iced or hot.

The beans are 100% arabica from Colombia. A box of 8 packets runs about $1.10 a packet.

Discover more at Alpine Start Foods.
 
 
2. MUUNA COTTAGE CHEESE WITH CUT FRUITS

Last summer we discovered Muuna fruit-flavored cottage cheese.

Packaged in individual cups like sundae-style yogurt, the fruit—actual cut fruit, not preserves—is at the bottom of cup.

We’re happy to see that the line has done well. Three new flavors have been added; the lineup now features:

[1] Alpine start instant coffee packages (photo courtesy Alpine Start Foods).

[2] Muuna cottage cheese has real cut fruit on the bottom, ready to stir up (photo courtesy Muuna).

Muuna is also rich in protein: 15g of protein per 5.3-ounce cup. Discover more at Muuna.com.

[4] From a snack cracker with a drink to a gourmet creation, Parm Crisps are a no-carb crispy cheese cracker (photo courtesy Parm Crisps).

 
3. OUI BY YOPLAIT, FRENCH-STYLE YOGURT

Yoplait began as a French company*, and Oui is their homage to premium French yogurt. It trades yogurt’s ubiquitous plastic container for a stylish glass pot—which has lots of post-yogurt uses.

The recipe is old school. Milk, fruit and cultures are poured into each individual pot, and left to set for eight hours. The culturing process takes places inside the pot, resulting in a delicious, thick yogurt.

Four new flavors have been added to the lineup:
flavors:

 
While Mango may sound like a fan favorite, we urge you to try the sprightly, refreshing Key Lime (try all of them, of course).

The new flavors join the initial eight flavors: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Coconut, Lemon, Peach, Plain, Strawberry and Vanilla.

Not surprisingly, Oui by Yoplait is French-style yogurt, which is the same as custard-style yogurt and Swiss-style yogurt (the different types of yogurt).

The line is all natural, non-GMO and reduced sugar products, and is certified kosher (dairy) by OK.

Discover more at OuiByYoplait.com.
 
 
4. PARM CRISPS, A CARB-FREE CRUNCHY SNACK

We first tried Parm Crisps way back in 2006, when they had a different name, Gourmet Wafer Crisps by Kitchen Table Bakers (the company that makes them).

Delicate, lacy baked cheese thins, they’re an Italian recipe known as frico in the old country. Use them as snack crackers, plain or with wine and beer.

Use them salad garnishes, float them as croutons in a large bowl of soup.

Crumble them atop vegetables or potatoes; use them as a base for canapés, serve them on a platter with prosciutto or serrano ham for a new take on “ham and cheese.” And of course, add them to antipasto plates.

Flavors include Original plus:

 
Snacking from the package is very satisfying, but the only limitation is your imagination.

For example, salmon caviar with crème fraîche on the Rosemary Parm Crisp is very elegant. So is a thin-slice of cucumber with dilled crème fraîche on the Italian Herb Crisp.

Now, where’s that glass of wine?

Discover more at ParmCrisps.com.

________________

*The brand was developed by the French dairy cooperative Sodiaal. It is now the largest franchise brand of yogurt, jointly owned by United States–based food conglomerate General Mills.

There’s no need to measure anything; just stir to mix.

We took inspiration from their photos (#1 and #2) to make a lovely strawberry “flower” tart , a happy pairing of strawberries and crème pâtissière.

It’s a spot-on dessert for Valentine’s Day, or any other festive occasion.
 
 
WHAT IS CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE?

Crème pâtissière (CREHM pah-tis-YAIR) is called pastry cream in the U.S. and confectioner’s custard in the U.K. It’s a stirred custard—egg yolks and sugar blended with milk and/or cream. It’s thickened with cornstarch or flour and typically flavored with vanilla, although other flavors can be used (citrus, cocoa and coffee are popular).

It’s used to fill éclairs, napoleons, and other pastries; as the base for tarts and flans; and to fill cakes, including génoise (sponge cakes).

With the addition of beaten egg whites, it becomes crème Saint-Honoré, a filling for cream puffs. It’s added to buttercream to make mousseline filling for other cakes and pastries.

Crème pâtissière is the same basic recipe as crème anglaise, but the addition of the starch gives it the stability to be brought to a boil. Crème anglaise is used in sauce form.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CUSTARD

Custard as we know it dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used as a filling for a flan or a tart. The word custard is derived from “crustade,” a tart with a crust.

After the 16th century, fruit creams became popular and it was about this time that custards began to be made in individual dishes or bowls rather than as fillings for a crust.

Set custards were more difficult to make than custard sauces. A cook couldn’t effectively use a water bath in the fireplace, plus it was difficult to check the “doneness” of the custards over the old open fires.

By the 17th century, set custards had become popular thanks to ovens, which enabled delicate baking, including crème brûlée: custard topped with burnt sugar (the earliest recipe known is French, from 1692 [source].

Today custard is used to fill tarts, Danish pastry, flans, cream puffs and éclairs; it is mixed into trifles and otherwise part of other sweet and savory delights.

Take a look at the different types of custard.
 
 
RECIPE: STRAWBERRY TART WITH CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

[2] How to start layering the strawberries.

[3] Serve the tart with a glass of sparkling wine, preferably one with a bit of sweetness like Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui, a perfect color for Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients For The Crust

 
For The Creme Patissiere

 
For The Top

 
Plus

[4] You’ll need two pints of strawberries (photo courtesy Quinciple | Facebook.

[5] Fortunately, tasty strawberries can be found in markets most months of the year (photo courtesy InHarvest | Facebook).

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Make the crust: Blend the flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor until moist crumbs form (this can take up to 1 minute).

2. TRANSFER the dough to the tart pan, flower your fingers, and press the dough evenly into pan and up sides. Flour the bottom of a measuring cup and use it to press the dough firmly into bottom and against sides of pan. Freeze the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, until firm.

3. PRICK the crust all over with a fork. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes, pressing down gently once or twice with a spoon during baking if crust puffs up (or, use dried beans or pie weights). Cool completely in the pan.

4. MAKE the crème pâtissière. Place the milk, vanilla pod and vanilla seeds in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the milk comes just to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile…

5. PLACE the sugar and egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl and beat until incorporated. Set a fine-mesh strainer over the egg mixture; place the cornstarch and flour in the strainer and sift them into the egg mixture. Remove the strainer and stir to combine. Wash and dry the strainer and place it over a second medium heatproof bowl; set aside.

6. REMOVE and discard the vanilla pod from the milk. While whisking constantly, slowly add all of the milk to the egg mixture.

7. RETURN the mixture to the saucepan and place it over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan with the whisk, or the eggs will curdle. When the whisk is scraped across the bottom of the pan, it should leave a clear line. Immediately remove from the heat.

8. USE a rubber spatula to transfer the pastry cream to the strainer; stir until completely strained, leaving any solids behind. Scrape the cream clinging to the underside of the strainer into the bowl and discard the solids left inside. Add the butter and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the citrus zests and salt.

10. WASH and dry the strawberries thoroughly and set aside until ready to assemble. Just before assembling, hull the berries and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Move the smaller pieces to the side; you’ll hopefully have enough even-size slices. Check the sweetness of the berries. If they need a bit more, sprinkle them with a bit of sugar.

11. TAKE the pastry cream from the refrigerator, whisk until smooth, and spread in an even layer into the cooled crust. Starting from the outside and working your way to the center of the tart, evenly shingle the strawberries at a slant with the tops in the pastry cream (photo #2). The pointed ends should be angled slightly up. Place them in an overlapping circular pattern.

12. REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.

Looking for fun fare for Super Bowl Sunday?

Try these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, from Go Bold With Butter. Here’s a video.

They’re an alternative to the ever-popular Buffalo Wings. Also check out these fun Deconstructed Buffalo Wings and Buffalo Chicken Parfait.

> More chicken wings recipes.

> The history of Buffalo Wings.
 
 
RECIPE: BUFFALO CHICKEN MEATBALLS

Ingredients For 16 Meatballs

 
For The Plate Garnish

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Add the red onion, garlic, egg white, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and seasonings to a large bowl, then stir with a fork to combine.

2. ADD the ground chicken and mix until combined—do not overmix or meatballs will be tough. Divide the chicken mixture into quarters, then roll each quarter into 4 balls. Press a cube of feta into the center of each ball, then close the mixture around the cheese to seal.

[2] Buffalo wing sauce (photo © Cindy’s Kitchen).

[3] Ground chicken (photo © President’s Choice).

4. MELT the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the Buffalo wing sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet then use a spoon to coat in sauce. Place a lid on top and turn the heat to low to keep warm until ready to serve.
 
 

This summery-looking salad can be made with winter ingredients. It can be raw, or a cooked salad, with sauteed bell peppers and Brussels sprouts.

It can have a center of grains or rice noodles (shown), or be all vegetables.

Our inspiration is this photo from Bo’s Kitchen, “plant based recipes made with love.”

Here’s what’s in the salad:

And keep a look out for substitutions in the spring, summer and fall. Fiddlehead ferns, anyone? Ramps? Sugar snap peas?

Have fun with it!