Gluten-Free Fennel Ricotta Tomato Tart

Every little bite of this delicious tart screams summertime. The beautiful, bright flavors and buttery crust can be enjoyed either hot or cold. The peppery, gluten-free crust requires no rolling. It comes together easily with parmesan cheese. We filled the tart with a spinach and ricotta mixture, seasoned with our Italian Sausage Mix. Don't let the name mislead you, there's no sausage to be found in this mix but rather kickin' red chile flakes, black pepper, fennel seed, basil, oregano, and other Italian classics.To bejewel the tart, sprinkle some halved heirloom cherry tomatoes and little dollops of goat cheese. Bake this tart until golden brown. Make it extra special by sprinkling some fennel pollen before serving your wedge. Fennel Pollen is delicate, sweet and fragrant and compliments the bursts of tomato perfectly.Fennel Pollen on before baking or if the tart is still very hot — its flavor is heat sensitive! One of our favorite things about fennel pollen is how the fennel flavor is so forward yet somehow light and delicate. It makes for an excellent garnish and an elegant flavor enhancement.

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Chef Andrea's Cardamom and Olive Oil Cake

This delicious cake is complements of Pastry Chef Andrea, and was served at dearly departed Lecosho, one of our favorite after work restaurants.The Ranier cherries that she serves with it are at the end of their season now, but don't let that stop you from attempting this cake! Try a few slices of Northwest pear, poached in wine and sugar, or a few cubes of caramelized pumpkin, roasted until soft to garnish. This cake is heavenly with freshly ground cardamom, but is also a brilliant vehicle to feature any number of exotic spices- try pink peppercorns, saffron, fennel (or fennel pollen!) or anise seed, paired with a different flavors of gelato. A word on the recipe itself: "Real deal" bakers and pastry chefs weigh their ingredients, much like we weigh our spices here in the shop. Weighing provides far more consistent and accurate measurements, which is why we choose to sell our spices that way, too. I left Chef Andrea's original weights in the recipe in case you're in possession of a gram scale, but also translated them to the more commonly used volume measurements for the average home cook, too.

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