Super Secret Spice Mix

What do you think of the fancy new blog design? I'm pretty happy with it. So I celebrated by eating WAY too much bread, dipped in some olive oil and my super secret spice mix. I was going to call this my super simple secret spice mix, but I thought that might be a little too much alliteration, even for me!

No matter what you call it, this is probably my favorite mix of spices to use on anything from meat, vegetables, eggs, or - my favorite -  as a dipping sauce for crusty bread. It's reminiscent of Italian seasoning, but has some other flavors too.

Perhaps it has been a secret until now, but I'm prepared to share my recipe with you lovely folks. Because, really, just look at that picture. Doesn't it make you hungry? 

Blueberry Tart

I have this lovely friend. Her name is Emily, and we've known each other since we were six. Now, Em has many, many talents - so many I surely couldn't name them all - but cooking is really not one of them. To her immense credit, though, she's been working on it. She even made muffins from scratch all by herself the other day. I was so proud! :)

Anyway, she was hanging out with me the other day, and so I decided we'd kill two birds with one stone: she could learn how to make a tart, and I would get an assistant. Sounds perfect!

What's really perfect, though, is this tart. It's like a blueberry pie, with all of the goodness of a pie but the elegance of a tart. And it has a secret, too - a few pieces of sweet peach hiding in all those gorgeous blueberries. Along with some ice cream, it makes the perfect cozy summer dessert.

Whole Wheat Tart Shell

Whole Wheat Tart Shell
Adapted from "Baking" ed. Carole Clements


3/4 c. white flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
7 T. cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
2-3 T. ice water

Sift together flour and salt; cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add egg yolk and 2 T water. Gather into a ball; if necessary, add the remaining tablespoon of water. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. When chilled, roll out on waxed paper and transfer to a 10" tart pan. Trim the edges, prick the bottom with a fork, and refrigerate until needed.

Bake as directed in your recipe. If blind baking, bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.