• preparation

Dice and freeze fatback. Dice the veal and pork. Heat oil in skillet. Sauté the onions. Combine meat, onion, and seasonings in a bowl. Mix cream and egg whites. Pour over meat. Refrigerate for a few hours.
Marinate artichokes in wine, brandy. Season with salt and pepper. Puree the meat with fatback. Add the pistachios and ham.
Grease a 5 cup mold and line top and bottom with pastry dough. Alternate forcemeat and artichokes ending with forcemeat.
Cover pâté with pastry. Brush with egg yolk.
Cut an opening in the center.
Bake at 350 degree for about an hour. When cold, fill the pate with sherry wine aspic.

• preparation

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus where they naturally break when you bend them or cut them off with a knife.

Boil water in a large pot or saucepan with steamer then reduce to simmer, add asparagus, cover with lid and steam asparagus until tender (about 8-10 minutes) *This will depend on your preference.

Use tongs to remove asparagus

In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, oil, red wine, dijon mustard, salt and pepper together.

Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Arrange cooked asparagus tomatoes on a large platter.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley.


Drizzle with ½ the dressing and serve the remainder on the side *Can be served warm, room temperature or chilled.



????Variations & Substitutions
Tomatoes- you could use cherry tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes
Asparagus -you could use grilled or oven-roasted asparagus instead of steamed
Tarragon- fresh tarragon is ideal, but you can use dried
Feta cheese - you can use regular, light or fat-free feta or use goat cheese
Add-ins- you could also sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese and/or add red onions or green onion

• preparation

Cut asparagus in halves. Discard the woody parts. Cut spears into 1-inch pieces. Cook in salted boiling water until tender, about 6 minutes. Melt butter in a skillet. Add asparagus, scallions, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender. Put through a strainer. Heat in a saucepan with the cream, and keep warm until needed.

• preparation

Combine stock, barley and bay leaf. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
Stir in carrots and celery; cook for 5 minutes or until stock is absorbed and barley is tender.
Discard bay leaf; transfer to large bowl. Fluff with fork. Meanwhile, chop onions and green pepper; drain and rinse beans. Add to barley mixture.
Dressing:
Whisk together stock, vinegar, mustard, basil and thyme; whisk in oil. Toss with barley mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 8 hours. Stir in parsley. Serve on lettuce leaves.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes; let cool. Finely chop 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds. 

Whisk chopped pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and remaining oil in a medium bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.


Combine fennel, Asian pear, celery root, Granny Smith apple, most of the Manchego, and remaining pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining Manchego.

• preparation

In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and sugar.

Mix the yeast into the warm milk, pour into the bowl then add the eggs and the softened butter.

Knead until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Add the raisins. Mix again until you have an even consistency.

Bring the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl and cover with a cloth. Leave to rest in a warm place for one hour until the dough has doubled in volume.

Divide the ball into equal parts and shape them into small balls, then put them in a cake tin or on a baking sheet, cover and leave to rest for two hours.

Bake for about 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C (350F) and keep an eye on them towards the end of the cooking time.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the leeks and blanch until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
Place leeks in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and dot with butter.
Pour the cream over top. Bake for 25 minutes (can be made ahead up to this point and reheated.) Just before serving, preheat broiler and brown the leeks under the broiler. Serve.

• preparation

Preheat waffle iron while making the batter.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Fold in blueberries. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Spray the top and bottom surfaces of the waffle iron with cooking spray. Ladle the waffle batter onto the iron. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.

Serve immediately or keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve. Top with pure maple syrup.

• preparation

Remove connective tissue from the liver. Melt butter in a sauté pan, add onions and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add all other ingredients except cream. Cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Whip cream to medium stiffness. Remove bay leaves from liver mixture. Puree the liver mixture in a food processor until smooth.
Pour into a large bowl and fold in the whipped cream.
Immediately pour into molds and chill.
Dip molds in hot water and unmold chicken liver mousse. Serve as hors d'oeuvre or appetizers

• preparation

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus where they naturally break when you bend them or cut them off with a knife.

Boil water in a large pot or saucepan with steamer then reduce to simmer, add asparagus, cover with lid and steam asparagus until tender (about 8-10 minutes) *This will depend on your preference.

Use tongs to remove asparagus

In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, oil, red wine, dijon mustard, salt and pepper together.

Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Arrange cooked asparagus tomatoes on a large platter.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley.


Drizzle with ½ the dressing and serve the remainder on the side *Can be served warm, room temperature or chilled.



????Variations & Substitutions
Tomatoes- you could use cherry tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes
Asparagus -you could use grilled or oven-roasted asparagus instead of steamed
Tarragon- fresh tarragon is ideal, but you can use dried
Feta cheese - you can use regular, light or fat-free feta or use goat cheese
Add-ins- you could also sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese and/or add red onions or green onion

• preparation

Rinse and dry the endives, and remove any leaves that have darkened. Trim the ends slightly and using a small knife.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the endives, and cook until soft, about 30 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and place in a single layer on a platter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, and pepper, and set aside until cool enough to handle. (The recipe may be prepared to this point several hours in advance. Cover until needed.)
With your hands, gently but firmly squeeze each endive to extract the liquid.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Add the endives in a single later and brown evenly on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and drain well.
Transfer the endives to a warmed serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

• preparation

Clean and wash mussels under cold running water and debeard.
Heat the butter in a kettle. Add shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add half of the parsley, pepper, wine, and mussels.
Cover and steam until mussels open.
Serve in soup bowls with the strained cooking liquid. Sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley.

• preparation

Trim endives and separate leaves.
Arrange endive leaves, shrimp, cucumber and carrot slices on individual cold plates.
Serve with sauce.

• preparation

Heat ¼ cup of the butter oroil in a large ot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add leeks, carrots and onion; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in peas to coat; cook 1 minute. Add stock, 2 cups water, ham hock, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally, or until peas are very tender and falling apart. (Stir bottom of the pot to be sure soup doesn’t stick.)
Discard thyme, bay leaves and ham hock. Transfer 2 cups soup to a food processor fitted with a steel blade; puree. Return puree to pot. Stir in more stock or water if soup is too thick.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp butter or oil in a medium saute pan over medium. Add sausage; cook 5–6 minutes or until browned, tossing occasionally. Serve soup garnished with sausage and parsley.

• preparation

Remove connective tissue from the liver. Melt butter in a sauté pan, add onions and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add all other ingredients except cream. Cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Whip cream to medium stiffness. Remove bay leaves from liver mixture. Puree the liver mixture in a food processor until smooth.
Pour into a large bowl and fold in the whipped cream.
Immediately pour into molds and chill.
Dip molds in hot water and unmold chicken liver mousse. Serve as hors d'oeuvre or appetizers

• preparation

Snap off the woody ends of asparagus where they naturally break when you bend them or cut them off with a knife.

Boil water in a large pot or saucepan with steamer then reduce to simmer, add asparagus, cover with lid and steam asparagus until tender (about 8-10 minutes) *This will depend on your preference.

Use tongs to remove asparagus

In a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar, oil, red wine, dijon mustard, salt and pepper together.

Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Arrange cooked asparagus tomatoes on a large platter.

Sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley.


Drizzle with ½ the dressing and serve the remainder on the side *Can be served warm, room temperature or chilled.



????Variations & Substitutions
Tomatoes- you could use cherry tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes
Asparagus -you could use grilled or oven-roasted asparagus instead of steamed
Tarragon- fresh tarragon is ideal, but you can use dried
Feta cheese - you can use regular, light or fat-free feta or use goat cheese
Add-ins- you could also sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese and/or add red onions or green onion

• preparation

Cut asparagus in halves. Discard the woody parts. Cut spears into 1-inch pieces. Cook in salted boiling water until tender, about 6 minutes. Melt butter in a skillet. Add asparagus, scallions, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Puree mixture in a blender. Put through a strainer. Heat in a saucepan with the cream, and keep warm until needed.

• preparation

Combine stock, barley and bay leaf. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
Stir in carrots and celery; cook for 5 minutes or until stock is absorbed and barley is tender.
Discard bay leaf; transfer to large bowl. Fluff with fork. Meanwhile, chop onions and green pepper; drain and rinse beans. Add to barley mixture.
Dressing:
Whisk together stock, vinegar, mustard, basil and thyme; whisk in oil. Toss with barley mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 8 hours. Stir in parsley. Serve on lettuce leaves.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pumpkin seeds and 1 tsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes; let cool. Finely chop 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds. 

Whisk chopped pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and remaining oil in a medium bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.


Combine fennel, Asian pear, celery root, Granny Smith apple, most of the Manchego, and remaining pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining Manchego.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the leeks and blanch until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
Place leeks in a shallow baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and dot with butter.
Pour the cream over top. Bake for 25 minutes (can be made ahead up to this point and reheated.) Just before serving, preheat broiler and brown the leeks under the broiler. Serve.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain well.
Add the broccoli to the boiling water. Cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli in a colander. Rinse under cold running water to cool. Drain well.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Off the heat, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of the Gruyere, and the Parmesan.
Pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of an 8 by 11 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the drained cauliflower and broccoli on top and then spread the rest of the sauce evenly on top. Combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and sprinkle on top. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the gratin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned. Serve hot.

• preparation

Boil the potatoes in their skin in salted boiling water.
Peel potatoes when cool then grate coarsely.
Cut bacon slices across into small pieces. Fry until crisp. Saute onions with butter.
Add the potatoes and bacon bits. Season with salt. Mix well while turning the potatoes. Brown both sides of the potato cake and serve hot.

• preparation

Steam or boil cauliflower and garlic until soft. Drain, add buttermilk, light butter, salt, pepper and purée with a hand blender or regular blender.

• preparation

Soak raisins into a cup of hot water to soften. Peel the broccoli stems, discarding the tough ends.
Shred with a salad shredder or food processor. Remove and discard tough outer leaves from cabbage.
Shred cabbage fine. Shred carrot with the finest blade. Drain raisins well and add to broccoli, carrot and cabbage shred, mixing well.
Peel and core apple and grate or shred. Add to cabbage-broccoli mixture.
Immediately add Coleslaw Dressing to avoid discoloration of the apple. Toss gently to mix well. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

COLESLAW DRESSING

Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

• preparation

Quarter, core and shred cabbage. Rinse under cold water. Heat oil in a dutch oven.
Add onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cabbage. Add vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a bubble; lower heat to simmering. Cover.
Cook 15 minutes for crisp tender cabbage, or 1 hour for well done. Add water if necessary.
I cook the cabbage for over an hour. Use with pork and ham, roast goose, or as is.
Note: Sliced apples can be added to cabbage while cooking.

• preparation

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine the pecans, the 1 1/2 tsp. olive oil, the 1/4 tsp. salt, the sugar and cayenne and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a baking sheet and toast in the oven until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add brussels sprouts. Cook until crisp-tender about 5 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water.
Using a food processor fitted with 1/8- to 1/4-inch slicing disk, slice brussels sprouts and radicchio. Transfer to a large bowl and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and maple syrup. Slowly whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and black pepper.

Add half of the dressing to the brussels sprout-radicchio mixture and toss well to combine, adding more dressing as needed. Let stand for 15 minutes to slightly wilt the brussels sprouts. Top with the pecans and serve immediately.

• preparation

Reserve 1 cup of flour. Mix remaining flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (125 F/50 C).
Stir warm liquid into dry ingredients. Beat in egg. Mix in enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough that does not stick to bowl. Turn out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté onion in butter. Remove from heat and stir in remaining filling ingredients; set aside.
Roll dough into 18-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut evenly into three lengthwise strips 18 x 4-inch.
Evenly spread filling along center of strips. Fold each strip lengthwise and pinch edges together along 18-inch side to enclose filling. Braid strips together. Pinch ends to seal and tuck ends under loaf. Grease a baking sheet.
Place braid on sheet. Cover. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush top with beaten egg white and sprinkle with more sesame seed, if desired. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack to cool.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients, except potatoes. Place potatoes in lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan, toss with mustard mixture.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In an electric mixer, cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and bananas.
Mix well. Sift cocoa, flour, soda and salt. Add alternately with buttermilk while whisking.
Mix in boiling water. Bake in a 13 by 9-inch ungreased pan 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool and cover with frosting.

Frosting:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil.
Remove from heat. Add vanilla, and frost cake while icing is hot.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line bottom on 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Over simmering water, melt together butter, chocolate, sugar and orange juice, stirring to blend.
Remove from heat; stir in liqueur and vanilla. Let cool; whisk in eggs, one at a time.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until edges are slightly crusty and middle is just set. Let cool on rack.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
Raspberry coulis:
Purée raspberries in food processor; press through sieve to remove seeds. Stir in sugar, and liqueur.
Invert cake onto serving plate.
Sift cocoa powder over cake and garnish with raspberries. Slice and serve with raspberry coulis.

• preparation

Prepare the PATE SABLEE crust, baked (see recipe)

Melt the dark chocolate in a water bath, then add the liquid cream while mixing vigorously to obtain a smooth and unctuous ganache.

Pour this preparation onto the precooked pie bottom, then allow to cool.

Arrange the fresh raspberries on top and sprinkle with a icing sugar.

• preparation

 In the bowl of the robot,mix the milk and the yeast.
    Add the flour, eggs, sugar brown sugar, a pinch of salt and knead to obtain an elastic paste.
    Add the butter and knead gently to incorporate the butter and have a homogeneous mixture.
    Cover the dough with film wrap and let the dough rise for 2 hours in a warm place.
    When the dough has at least doubled in volume, deflate and incoporate the pearled sugar.
    Using a pastry brush, grease the hot waffle plates.
  Spoon a large spoonful of dough into the waffle maker.
    Close the waffle iron and cook +/- 3 minutes until golden brown.

• preparation

For dough:
Using a heavy- duty mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add sugar and beat until pale. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Turn speed to low, add flour salt and mix until just blended.
Flatten dough to a 1/2-inch-thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll into 1/8-inch-thick round.
Fit dough into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Ease dough into bottom and up sides of pan, then run rolling pin over top to cut off excess.
Press dough to sides of pan. Freeze tart shell for 20 minutes.
To assemble and bake tart, strew strawberries and rhubarb in tart shell. Whisk cream, sugar and eggs together.
Pour over fruit, leaving a 1/8-inch margin at the top so it wont overflow in oven.
Bake until firm and well browned, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.
Transfer to a serving platter.
For glaze:
In a small saucepan, mix preserves with 2 tablespoons water. Heat over low heat. Push through a sieve with back of a spoon.
Brush tart with glaze and let set, 1 hour. (Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taste)

• preparation

Place yeast and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl with 200ml lukewarm water. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes or until frothy.
Place flour and remaining 50g sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook and make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Whisk eggs into yeast mixture, pour into the well and stir to combine. Knead on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until a dough forms. With the motor running, add butter, 1 piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Knead for a further 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth.
Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm round cake pan and line the base with baking paper. Deflate the risen dough to release the air and knead into a smooth ball. Sprinkle the work surface with flour, roll out the dough using a rolling pin. Form a disc of 20 cm and 2 cm thick.
Place dough in the centre of the prepared pan and set aside for 20 minutes to proof. Bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Combine the gelatin powder with 2 tablespoons of cold water. If using gelatin sheets, soak in cold water.
Meanwhile, for the creme patissiere, whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a heatproof bowl until smooth. Place milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point, then remove from heat. Pour hot milk mixture over egg mixture, whisking slowly until combined. Return mixture to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 5-6 minutes to get a thick custard. Add the dissolved gelatin powder or the gelatine sheets without the water to creme patissiere and whisk until completely dissolved. Strain into a clean bowl, cover surface directly with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.

Whisk crème patissiere until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a wide fluted nozzle and chill until ready to use.
For the topping, combine butter, sugar, honey and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until melted and combined. Stir in almonds, then set.
To assemble, use a large serrated knife to slice brioche in half horizontally. Pipe crème patissiere over the cut side of one half of brioche, then top with other half.
Reheat the topping over medium heat until almond are golden brown at which time, pour over the surface of the cake. serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a large tube pan.
In a mixing bowl, mix first 3 ingredients well.
Add dry ingredients, then apples, nuts and vanilla.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes,
or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

• preparation

For caramel:
In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. When golden brown, carefully add 1/3 cup water to thin down. For custard: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Pour into 8 6-ounce ramekins to coat the bottom of the dishes evenly. Place the ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour in a mixing bowl. Add the chocolate and vanilla, and stir to melt.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks with 1/2 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in the milk chocolate. Put through a strainer, then pour in the ramekins. Pour enough hot water into the pan to reach about half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until custards are just set in center. Transfer the ramekins to a rack to cool. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or more.
To serve, run a knife around each custard, dip in hot water for about 2 minutes. Invert custards onto plates. Scrape bottom of ramekin molds and spoon caramel over the custard.

• preparation

Mix blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Mix cornstarch with enough water to make a paste. Pour into the berry mixture, stirring constantly until thick. Cool.
The mixture can be cooled and stored orpPour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes or until crust is golden.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F and generously butter an 11-cup Kugelhopf pan or 11-cup bundt pan.
Halve prunes and in a small saucepan simmer with Armagnac and 3/4 cup water, uncovered, 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer prunes to a shallow dish to cool. Boil Armagnac mixture until reduced to about 1/2 cup and add to prunes.
Halve kumquats lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise. In a small saucepan bring remaining 1/2 cup water with 1/4 cup granulated sugar to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add kumquats and simmer 10 minutes. In a fine sieve drain kumquats and add to prunes.
Into a bowl sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt. Resift mixture into another bowl.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter, remaining 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and prune mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until just combined.
Spoon batter into pan (pan will be almost full) and bake in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes and turn out onto rack to cool completely. Cake keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 week.
Garnish cake with kumquats and serve with warm toffee sauce and Armagnac ice cream

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
Stir together orange juice, grated ginger, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl. Add rhubarb and let stand, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut pastry in half lengthwise, then roll out each piece into an 11-by 7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Arrange pastry rectangles side by side on an ungreased large baking sheet.
Make a 1/2-inch border around each pastry rectangle by lightly scoring a line parallel to each edge. Prick pastry inside border all over with a fork.
Strain rhubarb mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Top 1 pastry rectangle (within border) with half of rhubarb, overlapping slices slightly. Repeat with remaining pastry and rhubarb.
Bake until pastry is puffed and golden (underside of pastry should also be golden), about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil reserved rhubarb liquid in a small saucepan, skimming foam if necessary, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 15 to 18 minutes. The glaze will become medium thick
Transfer tarts to a rack. Brush rhubarb and pastry with glaze and sprinkle with zest.