This past weekend was a real treat for my family and some friends. French Chef Justin Ward, missionary extraordinaire, came to my house to teach 18 of us, neighbors and church friends, his Quiche and Tart Class.
He arrived promptly at 8 a.m. to set up our prep stations and to make the crusts for some extra dishes. Guests arrived at 10 a.m.
Chef Ward was careful to demonstrate the technique for slicing and dicing our pears for the pear-and-almond tart finale. Then he showed us how to use our scales to measure ingredients and use our hands to create the crust from scratch.
He had sent a list of ingredients ahead of time; I had his requested 36 eggs ready to go. However, we needed about 65 eggs in total because everyone who was invited showed up! Thankfully, I had forgotten that I already had about 30 eggs in my fridge (a grocery list oversight), and my neighbor across the street was in attendance and could provide the remaining number we needed!
With the massive bowl of whipped eggs, we prepared our own mini quiches—spinach and smoked salmon (not fishy at all!) and bacon and parmesan cheese. We also made our individual pear tarts, identifying our own creations by writing our names on the parchment paper that covered the full-size sheet pan. Convenient and smart!
While the quiches and tarts cooked, we tidied the kitchen, made a mustard vinaigrette for the salad, and prepared drinks. Then, it was time to feast on our labors!
We all learned a great deal from this class, and many of us feel like we will be able to replicate the recipes that Chef Ward will be sending each participant as soon as he has a few moments in his busy schedule!
We appreciate him fitting us into his limited time in the U.S., where his cooking and teaching business continues to grow in popularity and demand. You can check out his amazing website at chefjustinward.com and anticipate the availability of a subscription-based business in the near future.
Bon appetit!
