Summer Tarts: Savory & Sweet
When it comes to the big question “What shall I serve when the guests arrive?” you can never go wrong with a tart. A French-inspired one-crust rendition of the typical American pie, the tart can be savory or sweet. The crust can be baked ahead of time or right along with whatever you choose to toss in.
The choice of crusts is, while not as varied as the contents, widely varied. You can make a short crust (think butter!), a sweet crust, a layered crust (puff pastry), a savory crust, or my favorite 2-minute crust, included here, which I learned long ago in France.
The choices are limitless. You can create a Pissaladière (onion, thyme, anchovies), a lemon tart (self-explanatory), a fig and prosciutto tart (yum!!), a strawberry tart (simple and ever delicious), a peach tart (with apricot jam glaze), a chocolate blueberry tart (need I say more?), a rhubarb tart (so many ways to do this!)…
In my own particular kitchen, which is a hybrid of France and Appalachia (or what I like to refer to as “Frappalachia”), my go-to recipe is a spin-off on the classic Southern tomato pie, a savory tart, often served as an appetizer to begin a family meal, or brought to a gathering of friends to share at an extended table. In contrast to the heavier pie of the South, this tart is light and almost ethereal, laced with a touch of thyme, tantalizing your taste buds to dive into the dishes that follow, not sated, but gently seduced.
The crust for this French-style one-layer confection is one imparted to me by a 90-year-old French countrywoman, who, like the proverbial old woman in the shoe, had so many children she didn’t know what to do. She made endless pies. Her simple two-minute recipe, using a spoon, a fork, and a bowl and fingers, completely transformed my life and has made pies (both sweet and savory), tarts, and pizzas an easy any-day occurrence in my household.
The confection of this summery delight is easy. Start with a savory crust, add a dollop of mustard for bite, layer your tomatoes and herbs and garlic onto the mustard spread, and top with freshly-grated cheese. Et voilà!
Tomato Gruyère Thyme Tart
Ingredients for one 10-inch piecrust:
- 10 rounded soupspoons all-purpose flour
- 5 soupspoons olive oil
- 5 soupspoons water
- 1 teaspoon large-grain salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary (or thyme leaves)
For the topping:
- 4-6 ripe tomatoes
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon real French Dijon mustard (the kind that bites you back!)
- ½ cup grated Gruyère cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Combine all piecrust ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir quickly with a fork until ingredients adhere easily in a ball. (If crust is too dry, add more liquid; if too wet, throw in a bit more flour.) Pat out into your pie plate, making sure all is of an even thickness, particularly in the corners.
Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon (or your fingers), spread a thin layer of mustard over the crust. Slice your tomatoes about a quarter-inch thick and remove excess seeds and juice (set this excess yumminess aside for adding to a pasta sauce later, or drink it down with a splash of vodka).
Place your tomatoes one layer thick on top of your crust. Cut a few rounds into small pieces to fill in any gaps. Slice your garlic into thin slivers and spread over the tomato slices. Salt, pepper, and sprinkle with the grated cheese, ending up with a generous sprinkling of thyme leaves. Bake in a 400°F oven for a half hour or until bubbly and golden. Serve with a simple green salad and a glass of dry rosé.
Pear Roquefort Walnut Tart
Ingredients:
- 1 crust as detailed above, minus the rosemary, replacing olive oil if desired with a milder oil (I like Safflower)
- 6 or so pears depending on size and species
- Generous wedge of Roquefort
- Several walnut halves (English or black)
Preparation:
Arrange pear slices in an artful swirl on tart shell (no need to pre-cook), dot with roquefort and walnuts and pop in a 400°F oven for a scant half hour. Enjoy as an appetizer or as a sweet and savory dessert, with bubbles or with a crisp Sauvignon blanc if served alone, or with a glass of Chardonnay or Sauternes if served as a dessert.
Summer Tarts: Savory & Sweet
Apricot Rosemary Tarte Tatin
Ingredients:
- 1 crust as detailed above, with or without the rosemary
- A dozen or so ripe apricots
- Two large sprigs of fresh rosemary
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup sugar
Preparation:
Melt butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed pan that works on both stove top and oven, stir in the sugar and let it bubble up a bit. Lay the sprigs of rosemary in a cross on top of the bubbling butter mixture. Halve your apricots and arrange them to cover the bottom of your skillet, one layer thick with no significant spaces. You can orient them either up or down depending on preference. (Try them one way the first time and the other way next time you confect the recipe, or lay them out in concentric layers, one up and one down.)
On a large piece of parchment, pat or roll out your dough, turn it upside-down on top of your apricots, peel off the parchment, and tuck in the edges of the dough to form a bit of a downward-facing lip.
Bake in a 400°F oven for a half hour or so, until dough is cooked through, then place a large plate on top of the ensemble and, using hot pads or a thick dish towel, quickly turn the pan up-side-down, flipping it away from you in case any hot liquid escapes. Remove the skillet (you may need a spatula handy to loosen any pieces of fruit that inevitably stick to the pan), and set pan to soak in hot water before the caramel hardens.
Enjoy with moonshine or bourbon whipped cream and a strong cup of coffee or a dessert wine.
About the author: Susi Gott Séguret, CCP, CSW, hails from the depths of Appalachia in Madison County, North Carolina, but honed her culinary skills in France, where she resided for over 20 years, earning a diploma in Gastronomy and Taste from the Cordon Bleu and the Université de Reims. Author of several cookbooks including Appalachian Appetite, and Cooking with Truffles, Susi orchestrates multiple sensory experiences including the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, the Asheville Truffle Experience, and the Appalachian Culinary Experience. Passionate about elements of taste and style, and how they extend from our palate into our daily lives, Susi strives to blend food, music, words and images into a tapestry for the senses. For more details, visit quintessentialtable.com.