Happy Friday! I kept my promise and made two French Fridays with Dorie recipes this week! I’m feeling motivated because I only have six back-log recipes to complete. Most of them are good Fall/Winter recipes and I plan to hit them this year, so I don’t miss my final window (the group will be finishing the book around April or so next year). So, what did I make?
Couscous Salad
The official recipe of the week was Couscous Salad. It was a pretty easy recipe. Quick-cooking couscous was cooked in a mixture of chicken broth and spices along with raisins. After it was cooked and fluffed, it was tossed with diced cucumber, red bell pepper, carrot, sugar snap peas, and chickpeas. A simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, and a sprinkling of cilantro, and it was done. I served it with the optional Lemon-Grilled Chicken to make it a full meal deal.
I don’t quite know what to say about this recipe. We liked it well enough. I just think the flavors are not favorites of ours. I thought I would eat the leftovers for lunch the next day, but I couldn’t quite muster the enthusiasm for it. So, we didn’t hate it, but we didn’t love it either. I won’t be making this one again.
Gérard’s Mustard Tart
Gérard’s Mustard Tart goes way back. It was the second recipe the FFWD group made back in October 2010 (before I joined in the fun).
The recipe in the book is Dorie’s friend Gérard’s take on the traditional mustard tart with tomatoes. Since we have gorgeous garden tomatoes right now, I knew I had to make the original version of this tart, which Dorie helpfully includes instructions for.
This truly is a mustard tart. The filling consists of lightly beaten eggs, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and grainy French mustard. I topped it with two sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of thyme leaves (my addition).
We really enjoyed this tart! The flavor of the perfectly ripe tomatoes was delicious against the piquant flavor of the mustard. This one I ate the leftovers!
What will I make next week?
From Scratch 
Oohh, the tart is an all time favorite of mine. I loved, loved, loved that recipe and have made it again a few times since. In fact, your post is a timely reminder that I should squeeze it before tomato season is over.
I also need to clear out a few make up recipes. By my count I have 4 which I haven’t done. Two I just need to find the time for and two I need to find the motivation for because they are not sounding like fun.
Your salad with grilled chicken looks lovely and love your adaptation of the mustard tart! I enjoyed the tart too! Must give tomatoes a go!
Sorry the salad wasn’t a hit for you. But, that gorgeous mustard tart must have more than made up for it. I have many more than four recipes to catch up on and I’ve been strategizing around how I can get them done before time is up…
Nana us so organized that she has already made a list for me of all the ones I have missed (I missed A LOT more than she did…..) I need to get moving on them. Great combo act this week. The couscous was a fun adventure and yours looks lovely but that mustard tart was fabulous. We had made it during the original week assigned and it has remained one of my favorites from the book. Good luck with the catch ups ! – Tricia
I LOVE that tart, though I’ve only made it with leeks and carrots. Now that the tomatoes are plentiful, I will make a point to try it with tomatoes. I’m a huge mustard fan, and this tart is so perfect with the strong mustard flavor. I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love the salad. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did. Of course, it made a lot and we’re still eating it…Can’t wait to see what you make next week.
Sorry you did not care for the couscous salad but that tart looks fantastic.
I loved it when we first made it, and I will now try it with all the gorgeous
tomatoes we have now.
I am making the mustard tart tonight for dinner. Everyone seems to love it. We loved the couscous salad but we love curry flavors.
Your presentation with the chicken is pretty – sorry it wasn’t a hit.
I loved that mustard tart and have made it a few times. It is so pretty with the tomatoes!
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the sale but the mustard tart is another story! That has been one of our FF favorites!
Gerard’s Tart is on my catch-up list. It seems to be a winner all around, and yet somehow I manage to keep failing to make it.
Great photos and presentation – how is everything going? Love all your Facebook posts 🙂