Category: Tart

For People Who Fear Crust

March 24, 2010

Some people are afraid of yeast so they don’t make bread.  Some people are afraid of crusts so they don’t make tarts or pies.  (I myself am afraid of frosting layer cakes but I don’t let it stop me.)  So, If I say “tart”, are you one of those people who gets scared?   Truth be told, I find crusts can be tricky even thought I have made a lot of them.  Every time I make a pie, I say a little prayer to the crust gods to make things go smoothly.  My only advice is that it helps to have a good recipe and lots of practice.

If you do suffer from a crust phobia, please make this pie.  I would say it’s like a crust-less quiche, but it does in fact have a crust.  It is nothing more than some breadcrumbs sprinkled into a buttered pie plate, but somehow just that little bit of attention makes it more elegant, interesting, and also helps hold the slices together.  The lack of a butter and/or shortening  crust also makes a slice much lighter and healthier – so you can be a little more heavy-handed with the cheese.

This is one of many Jeanne Lemlin tarts that I have made – all easy, all delicious.  It is totally adaptable and great for lunch, brunch, or dinner.  Although she says it is important to use Swiss cheese in this one to help keep it all together, I bet you could substitute another firm cheese and have it turn out fabulously well.

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Zucchini, Tomato, and Swiss Cheese Pie
Adapted from Quick Vegetarian Pleasures
Serves 4

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup bread crumbs
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tsp. fennel seed
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
¼ pound grated Swiss cheese
3 tbsp. grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 375º F.  Butter a 9 inch pie plate, then sprinkle the bread crumbs all over the sides and bottom.  Allow whatever loose crumbs are there to just sit on the bottom.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add enough olive oil to just coat the bottom, then add the onion.  Sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes.  Stir in the diced tomatoes and sauté another 5 minutes.  Raise the heat to high.  Mix in the zucchini, fennel seed, salt and pepper.  Cook until the zucchini is barely tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and cool 5 minutes.  (The recipe may be prepared in a dvance to this point an dchilled up to 24 hours.  Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

3.  Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in the milk, then mix in the zucchini mixture.  Pour half into the prepared pie plate, top with the Swiss cheese, then pour on the remaining vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese all over the top.

4.  Bake 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.  Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.


Category: Brunch,Eggs,Main Course,Tart
Permalink | Print Print | 13 Comments | Email Recipe | Share

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts

November 2, 2009

IMG_3675

It’s November and that means it’s NaBloPoMo.  That stands for National Blog Posting Month and some people will be writing a post every day.  I attempted it last year and did fairly well.  Seeing as I have already missed a day, I guess I don’t need to tell you that I will not be participating this year – just too busy of a month (and I have also come down with a nasty bug).  But with all the upcoming cooking, I will probably have lots to share.  Just not every day.

I wish I could have shared these tarts with you.  Not only were they delicious, the recipe made four of them and we only ate two.  I encouraged Randy to bring the leftovers to work with him for several days running (he just forgot) and eventually had to throw them out because they got soggy.  I hate that.

It might seem strange for a vegetarian, but I really love Ina Garten.  I have four of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks and hers is the only show on the Food Network I can watch anymore.  I have made many of her recipes and they never fail.  Yes, about half of each cookbook is off limits to me, but the half I can use is terrific.

These tarts are a classic in my opinion.  The only thing that takes time is caramelizing the onions but if you have some on hand (they keep for days in the refrigerator and I’ve heard you can successfully freeze them), this elegant meal comes together in about half an hour.  Ina makes these tarts round but in order to get four, you would have to use two sheets of puff pastry and throw out the perfectly good scraps just to get a pretty shape.  I used one sheet and cut the pastry into four rectangles instead – no waste.  (Except for the finished uneaten-after-several-days product.  Sigh.)

You will notice that there is no basil on my tarts.  Sometimes I will go to great lengths to get a forgotten ingredient, like walking both unwilling boys up to our neighborhood market only to find that they forgot to carry my forgotten ingredient and then piling both boys – still unwilling – in the car to find a market that does carry it.  This was not one of those times.  I’m sure the basil would have taken these delicious tarts over the top and they certainly would have looked prettier, but I’m all right with what I got.

IMG_3674

One Year Ago:  Baba Ghanoush
Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Make 4 individual tarts

I find the best way to thaw puff pastry is in the refrigerator overnight.  For this recipe, you will only use one sheet.  Take it out, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.  Wrap the remaining sheet in plastic and place back in the box and place the box back in the freezer.  Now you have one for next time.

1/2 package (17.3 ounce) puff pastry, defrosted
Olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
3 tbsp. dry white wine
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese, such as Montrachet
2 large tomatoes, cut into 8 1/4-inch thick slices
3 tbsp. julienned basil leaves
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll it slightly to an 11 x 11-inch square.  Cut the pastry into four quarters.  Place the quarters on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic.  Sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned.  Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/2 inch-wide border around each pastry square.  Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each square, staying inside the scored border.

Place one-quarter of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge.  Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions.  Place two slices of tomato in the center of each tart.  Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and spring with basil, salt and pepper.  Finally scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.  Serve hot or warm.


Category: Main Course,Tart
Permalink | Print Print | 21 Comments | Email Recipe | Share

Feeling Like a Rock Star

October 25, 2009

IMG_3578

A few months ago, I got a lovely email from a guy who reads my blog.  He and his partner live in Seattle and a big birthday was coming up.  He wondered if I would cook a dinner for them as a surprise for his partner.  I was touched and said yes right away.  Many emails went back and forth figuring out dates and menu ideas.  Through it all this guy was such a joy to work with.  He only had two requests.  Mexican Brownies had to be the treat and I had to keep the whole thing a secret.

Menu ideas went around and around in my head.  I obsess about menus for people I know, let alone strangers.  Ultimately, I decided it was best to let the season guide me.  I turned to my trusty Macrina Bakery cookbook for yet another of Leslie Mackie’s amazing savory galette recipes.  This one had a ricotta and goat cheese base with sauteed pears topping it.  I made a butternut squash soup that had just a bit of wild rice in each bowl, and I made broccoli and cauliflower with a mustard chive butter.  And the brownies of course.

Coincidentally, we had friends over for dinner that same night so I made double the amount of everything and we were able to enjoy the meal as well.  I was a tad worried that the galette might be too sweet for a main course but it was really wonderful.  I was recently tempted to try a different crust recipe after reading a post by Sarah at In Praise of Leftovers (she is a galette master), but after tasting this one once more, I’ve got to stay loyal.  It is so incredibly easy to put together and is probably the flakiest dough I have ever tasted.

IMG_3577

Have you ever felt like a rock star?  I haven’t had the experience too often, but I highly recommend it.  Thursday afternoon I arrived at their place and called from downstairs to ask for help bringing up the food.  As they walked out the front door, his partner took one look at me and his hands flew to his face as his jaw dropped.  He recognized me from my photos here and as the reality of what was coming set in, he got really excited.  I got to hear how they found me (thank you Amy B.!) and all the dishes they have tried, and loved, from this site.  He told me, “I feel like I’m meeting a rock star.”  And that was probably the best thing I heard all week.  Because yes, sometimes my children do make me feel like a rock star (“Yay Mommy!”) but more often than not, they make me feel like a roadie.

IMG_3587

One Year Ago:  Gnocchi with Winter Squash and Seared Radicchio

Roasted Pear Galette with Chèvre and Pomegranates
Adapted from Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook
Serves 8-10

The amount of dough in the following recipe will make two of these large galettes.  Use one half and freeze the other.  I love having it on hand in the freezer.

2 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and halved
Canola oil
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups goat cheese
3 eggs
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chopped thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (recipe follows), chilled
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Egg wash made with 1 egg and 1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat a large skillet (preferably non-stick) to medium-high heat.  Cut pear halves in to 1/2-inch thick slices.  Brush both sides of the slices with canola oil and lay them in the hot pan.  Turn the slices over as soon as they begin to turn brown, you don’t want to cook the fruit all the way through.  Once they other side is slightly brown, lay the pear slices on a sheet of parchment paper and set aside to cool.

Combine ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, salt, thyme, and rosemary in a large bowl.  Season with a little pepper and mix well with a whisk.  Set aside.

Form chilled pie dough into a ball and place it on a floured work surface.  Flatten the ball slightly and roll it into a 14-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick.  Roll the dough over the rolling pin and unroll it onto the prepared baking sheet.  Spoon ricotta mixture onto center of circle and flatten leaving a 2-inch border around the edges.  Lift border on top of the filling, tucking and folding the dough to create a gathered, or pleated, finish.  Lift each of the folds up and brush underneath with egg wash to seal the crust.  Brush all exposed dough with egg wash, then place the galette in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

Remove tart from refrigerator and bake on center rack of the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove tart from oven and lay the cooled pear slices on top of the tart.  Return the tart to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Let cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.  Garnish the tart with pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.  The galette is best served slightly warm.  Wrap any leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

(DT: You can make the dough up to 4 days ahead, the cheese filling one day ahead, and can seed the pomegranate one day ahead.  This make putting it together a breeze.  The whole thing can be assembled and baked 6 hours ahead of serving.  Reheat in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes.)

Flaky Pie Dough
Makes enough for 2 double-crusted (9-inch) pies, or 2 galettes

I always make pie dough in my food processor, but this amount is too much for it, so I do it by hand with a pastry blender.

5 1/4 cups flour
1 tbsp. kosher salt
12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1 cup ice water

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl and toss together. Add butter and cut it into the flour until the texture is coarse and crumbly. You can use a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers. Cut the shortening up and add it in small pieces. Cut in the shortening until the dough is crumbly again. Add ice water and mix just until the dough sticks together when pinched. Pull dough from bowl onto a lightly floured surface and pat it into a block. Cut it in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or wrap it again in foil and store in the freezer. One day before you are going to use frozen dough, transfer it to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw there overnight.


Category: Cheese,Main Course,Seasonal,Tart
Permalink | Print Print | 25 Comments | Email Recipe | Share

A Perfect Nectarine Tart

September 13, 2009

(We interrupt our regularly scheduled food blog post with a technical update. If you have recently tried to subscribe to this blog either via RSS or email and have gotten an error message, that has been fixed. Please try again and thank you.)

IMG_3268

Do you have a mentor? I don’t but I wish I did. My husband has one who used to be his boss and now is just an incredibly wise person who he talks to frequently and bounces ideas off of. He is like a kind uncle who knows you really well and who has great advice to give. We had him and his partner over for dinner the other night. He has sat at our table in London, in our previous house in Seattle, and now in our current house. I know he likes to cook and that he appreciates good food. I thought giving them a good wow in the dessert department would be nice.

Nectarines are my favorite fruit. I love just about all fruit but nectarines are at the top of my list. They are so incredible right now in this part of the country and I am trying to get my fill of them before they disappear. I have been putting them in salads and salsas and I just eat them out of hand. And so I was very happy to have an excuse to make this incredible tart.

IMG_3253

This tart is on my all-time favorite desserts list. I only make it at this time of year – when the farmers’ market practically smells of nectarines. It has so many things to recommend it. It can be mostly made in advance, it is incredibly quick to put together, but most of all the flavors are intoxicating. A healthy dose of crystallized ginger both in the filling and sprinkled over the top make it appropriate to serve with all kinds of food. I often make more “international” food when we have adventurous food guests and pairing dessert with some of those dishes can be challenging. I think because of the ginger and the fruit here, it goes well with just about anything.

I have been on an ice cream making kick lately. For this tart I opted to make the Honey Lavender Ice Cream found in David Lebovitz’s incomparable The Perfect Scoop. I am lucky to have lots of lavender growing in my front yard. I was initially worried that the ice cream may have a soapy flavor because a healthy amount of lavender steeps for a long time in the custard. Not to worry. The flavor is very distinguishable but is lovely and light and plays beautifully off the honey. And it went perfectly with the tart. And Randy said it was the best ice cream he had ever eaten. Enough said.

IMG_3255

One Year Ago: Zucchini Stuffed with Chickpeas and Israeli Couscous

Nectarine and Marscapone Tart in Gingersnap Crust
Adapted from Bon Appétit
8 Servings

Crust
25 gingersnap cookies; coarsely broken (about 6 ounces; about 2 1/4 cups pieces)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 8-ounce container marscapone cheese
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger

Topping
4 to 5 small nectarines, halved, pitted, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup peach jam, warmed
2 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger

For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind gingersnaps in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until color darkens, pressing sides with back of spoon if beginning to slide, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

For Filling: Beat first 6 ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in crystallized ginger. Spread filling in prepared crust. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For Topping: Overlap nectarine slices atop filling in concentric circles. Brush with jam. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger. Serve or refrigerate for up to 6 hours.


Category: Dessert,Tart
Permalink | Print Print | 17 Comments | Email Recipe | Share

A Summer Tart

July 15, 2009


img_2815

If you are a regular reader here, you probably know very well my love of chocolate.  The Dana Treat formula is simple:  dessert = chocolate.  But I know that not everyone feels this way.  My own husband professes not to like chocolate – at least that is what he says before he scarfs down whatever chocolate thing I have put in front of him.  Truly, his dessert taste does run to things like apple pie or lemon tart.  And in the summer, mine does too.

Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate anytime, but something really rich on a hot night just doesn’t sound right.  I needed to make something for an impromptu gathering last Friday and I struggled because I know a few of the guests are true chocoholics.  I also knew some of them are not.  So, I decided to branch out and make something really different.  I turned to my dessert notebook and almost right away found this recipe.

img_2814

I have to say, on a July night, this tart is a lovely thing.  It is served cold and, while there is a bit of sugar in crust and in the filling, it seems like the sweetness only comes from the honey drizzled on top.  The rest of the tart is refreshingly, well, tart.  It would be lovely served at a fancier dinner as a sort of cheese course, followed by chocolate truffles.  But, like I said, it was pretty hard to beat on a warm summer evening.

img_2820

One Year Ago:  Orzo with Brocoli, Feta, and Olives

Honeyed Goat Cheese Tart with Pistachio Crust
From Food and Wine
Makes one 9-inch tart

If you are familiar with Fage Greek yogurt, the large container is just the right size for this tart.  You will definitely want to serve some fruit on the plate along with a tart slice.  I used blueberries, but raspberries or strawberries – or even peach slices – would be great.

1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups flour
11 ounces soft goat cheese
2 cups full-fat Greek-style yogurt
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup clover honey (DT: I used Tupelo honey)

1.  In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely ground.  In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the granulated sugar at medium speed until pale, about 1 minute.  Add the ground pistachios, almond extract, and salt and beat until combined.  Add the flour and beat at low speed until incorporated and the dough is crumbly.

2.  Scrape the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.  Using the bottom of a glass, press the dough over the bottom and up the side of the tart pan.  Refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes.

3.  Preheat the oven to 300°F.  Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Bake the crust for about 45 minutes, until lightly golden.  Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

4.  In the bowl of the mixer, beat the goat cheese, yogurt, lime juice and lime zest until combined.  Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.  Scrape the filling into the crust and refrigerate for 2 hours.

5.  Just before serving, in a small saucepan, cook the honey over moderately high heat until it reaches 236°F on a candy thermometer, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes.  Drizzle the honey over the tart and let stand until the honey firms up, about 5 minutes.  Cut the tart into wedges and serve.

(The tart can be prepared through step 4 and refrigerated overnight.)


Category: Cheese,Dessert,Tart
Permalink | Print Print | 8 Comments | Email Recipe | Share

« Older Posts Newer Posts »