Read & Print Recipe from www.greatgrandmother.org

 

Savory Summer Tarts Three Ways

I love this master tart recipe. I start with 2 1/2 cups of flour (2 cups of all purpose and one-half cup of cake flour, if possible), two sticks of extra cold unsalted butter, a half teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of white sugar, and some ice water. Prepare as you would your favorite pie crust recipe.

I don't think it is necessary to blind bake this pastry, but it is important to use a cold pastry shell when you fill it.

For a summer picnic or potluck gathering, this is the dish!

I have three summer favorites when it comes to fillings:

1. Goat cheese and tomato filling

Use as much Vermont goat cheese as needed to fill the shell. Often, I soften the cheese first and then whip in an egg and add a couple tablespoons of cream, to give the whole thing some lift when it bakes. I like to top this off with chopped green beans, fresh peas, slices of cherry tomatoes, and then some freshly picked thyme. I'd suggest that you try to remove some of the seeds from the tomatoes (but not all) so that the top does not get too wet when baking. Bake at 375 F for about 30 to 35 minutes.

 

2. Lobster and tarragon filling

Use a cup of lobster meat, mixed with a 1/4 cup of cream and one small whipped egg, a 1/2 cup of fresh bread crumbs (not dry boxed junk), two tablespoons of minced shallot, two tablespoons of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of fresh French tarragon. (Be careful, as tarragon oil found on the French leaves can be super strong and overpower the delicate flavor of the lobster.) I dot this with a bit of cold unsalted butter and bake as above.

 

3. Pea, chive, and locally smoked bacon

WOW! This is a sweet and smoky version. Cook the bacon first, then make sure it is chopped to the size of your liking. Have the kids shell the peas and pull the chives. Mix them with a custard base and fill the pastry shell. Bake as above.

 

The custard base can be used for each of these. I tend toward a base of one cup of cream (Heavy cream is often too heavy! You can use half-and-half if you wish), three whole eggs, a pinch of cream of tartar, and a pinch of ground nutmeg. I whisk the eggs first, adding the cream of tartar to stablize it a bit, incorporating air as you go. Then, fold into the cream. Add a pinch of salt if you wish.