Kitty's Scratch Pad: Red White and Rain

On Monday I had to work a short day and then Alex and I went for a 12 mile bike ride on the Burke Gillman trail. We rode from the beginning in Ballard to Sand Point and back. Sadly our clip was only 8 miles per hour. Sort of sad when you think about the fact that some runners are faster than the two of us on bikes... After our bike ride we went to the baseball game with Alex, Fen and my Mom. I have some pretty good connections through work and we get great seats every once in a while. This was our view. Unfortunately the Angels had Jered Weaver pitching and we lost 1-7. Fen sat through his first full baseball game. I guess I thought it would take a while but I didn't realize this would take eight, almost nine years. Either way it was pretty cool...

On the 4th we hosted a BBQ at our house. I spent a few hours cleaning and doing laundry and then ran a few errands. When I got home I did some more cleaning and then got busy baking. I decided to do one of Tom Douglas's Triple Coconut Cream Pies (very American wouldn't you say?). I also decided to bake another raspberry tart. I got this recipe from Epicurious - one of my favoritist food recipe websites. This tart isn't for the weak - it includes a couple of teaspoons of Chipotle peppers soaked in Adobo. I usually add a little more for some extra kick. This time I ditched the pineapple and it turned out great. So far, I have never used the apple jelly. Personally, I am not a fan of shiny desserts.

For crust
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus additional for greasing pan
Flour for dusting pan
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 12 crackers, each about 4 3/4 by 2 1/4 inches)
21/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For filling
1/4 cup sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
3/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 pineapple (labeled "extra sweet"), trimmed, peeled, and quartered lengthwise, leaving core intact
4 1/2 oz raspberries (1 cup)

For glaze
1/4 cup apple jelly
1 tablespoon water

Special equipment: a 9- by 1-inch round tart pan with removable bottom; a small pastry brush

Make crust:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour tart pan, knocking out excess flour.

Stir together all crust ingredients in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture with your fingers and the back of a spoon evenly and firmly onto bottom and up side of tart pan.

Bake crust until a shade darker, 8 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Make filling and grill pineapple:
While crust cools, whisk together sour cream, brown sugar, chiles, and zest in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Beat cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, then add sour cream mixture and beat until combined well. Keep covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.

While coals are lighting, put pineapple quarters on a cutting board, long cut sides down, and cut lengthwise into slices slightly less than 1/4 inch thick with an adjustable-blade slicer or a knife (use caution; peeled pineapple is extremely slippery). Grill pineapple in 2 batches, covered only if using a gas grill, on lightly oiled grill rack, turning over once with tongs, until tender, about 5 minutes total. (If pineapple sticks to rack, use a metal spatula to loosen before turning.) Transfer to a platter and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Trim pineapple and discard core from slices.

Assemble tart:
Spread filling in tart shell, then press raspberries into cream. Gently push up bottom of pan to loosen pan bottom (with crust) from side of pan, then carefully lift out tart and transfer to a work surface. Gently insert a thin wide metal spatula between crust and pan bottom, then run spatula under crust to loosen from pan. Using spatula, slide tart shell carefully onto a serving platter. Arrange pineapple decoratively over cream.

Make glaze:
Melt jelly with water in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until smooth, then brush glaze onto pineapple with pastry brush.