George Chiala Farms - George's Recipe of the Month.

George has had a love of all things culinary from a very young age, and throughout his career, has worked with renowned chefs and food technologists. He discovered his passion for cooking at the age of five after spending time in his grandmother's restaurant. From then on, under his mother's guidance (who is a talented cook of her own accord) George recalls cooking anything his mother would let him, starting out with scrambled eggs and hamburgers and quickly moving on to fine Italian and French dishes.

After many years of honing and perfecting his culinary craft, George still enjoys what he humbly considers: "complimenting my family culinary experience," by taking courses in regional cuisines pertaining to the vegetable ingredient products his family specializes in, namely: Asian, French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Tex Mex.

Because of George's extensive knowledge and passion for food, he is a great resource to customers in helping them find the right ingredients for their recipe needs. "I need to understand what's happening in the kitchen," he explained. "If my client has an unfavorable flavor note, I need to be able to assess the situation to understand why." That extra level of service and care undoubtedly stems from his love of food and his work alike, which fortunately for George, go hand and hand.

For crust:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
2-3 tablespoons ice water

For filling:

2 cups whole milk
5 large egg yolks
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Zest 1 lemon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, juiced
2-3 cups fresh berries and other colorful fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mangoes and kiwi

Make crust:

1 - Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

2 - Add the cubed butter and cut into the other ingredients with a pastry blender until coarse and sandy, or if you're using a food processor, pulse in short bursts.

3 - Whisk together the egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Add to the flour mixture and use a spoon or your hands (or a few pulses) to bring it together into a ball. If needed, add more ice water 1/2 tablespoon at a time.

4 - Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge 1 hour.

5 - On a floured surface, roll the crust out to a rough 12 or 13-inch circle. Transfer to a greased 8-inch tart pan and press it in gently. Remove any overhanging crust.

6 - Chill in the fridge 30 minutes.

7- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line chilled crust with greased foil and fill tart with baking weights, dry rice, or beans. Bake for 20 minutes.

8 - Remove foil and weights and bake for 10 minutes more, until golden. Remove and cool completely.

Prepare Filling:

1 - Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear at the edges. Do not bring to a boil.

2 - Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon zest. Mixture will be very thick. When milk is warm, add to the egg mixture in a small steady stream while whisking constantly.

3 - Return mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick, while stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. This should take about 3-4 minutes.

4 - Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

5 - Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface of the custard. Chill completely, 1-2 hours.

Assemble tart:

1 - Stir cooled custard until smooth and spread into the tart crust.

2 - Top tart with fresh berries. Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for up to 2 hours. Tart is best the day it is assembled, but can be stored in the fridge for a few days.