Ingredient Title Chef Category

A shortcut to tantalizing tarts

The secret to making beautiful savory tarts with perfect crusts is frozen puff pastry or frozen Pillsbury pie crust. Both work quickly and easily to solve the pastry issue when making tarts that can be the main course for a light lunch or the first course if you're giving a dinner party.

Once the crust problem is so quickly solved we must think about fillings. Probably we have all had tarts made with salmon, anchovy, bacon, shrimp, or cheese. Some of them are custard, like a quiche; others are simply fillings held together with cheese or a scant egg mixture.

I am addicted to cream and eggs, which spell quiche, but many people are cutting back on fat. You will need something to hold the filling together. Goat cheese does not separate with cooking, so it is an excellent binder and replace much of the cream and eggs.

Soft cheeses of any kind can be spread across the bottom of the pastry and then planted with a variety of summer vegetables.

Tomato and Blue Cheese Tart

If you feel blue cheese is too powerful, use half blue cheese and half goat cheese.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
6 ounces blue cheese at room temperature
1/2 to 2 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half
2 or 3 large tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out pastry into a circle no more than 1/4-inch thick and about 10 1/2-inches in diameter. Transfer to 9-inch tart pan (preferably with a removable bottom). Pat into bottom and sides and trim edge so it's even with rim. Place in freezer to chill for 15 minutes. With a fork crumble cheese and mash together with milk, starting with 1/4 tablespoon, until the consistency is spreadable but still has some lumps of cheese. Slice tomatoes about 1/4-inch thick. Place on paper towels and blot to remove most of the juice. Remove pastry from freezer and bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes on a rack. Spread cheese mixture evenly over bottom of shell. Cover with tomato slices tightly packed into a single layer. Sprinkle with pepper, thyme, and basil; drizzle with olive oil. Bake until tomatoes have collapsed, about 10 minutes. Let stand on rack for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Red Pepper and Corn Tart

For a spicier version, add minced Serrano chile (or a little chili powder). This is great served with sour cream, sliced avocado and chopped tomato. You can use milk or half-and-half, or cream. You could also toss in some cooked bacon bits.

1 frozen pie crust
1 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 ear corn, shucked and kernels, cut off cob
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or marjoram or 1 teaspoon of each dried

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place pastry in 9- or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line pastry with aluminum foil and weight down with rice or dried beans (after baking save for the next pie shell you bake). Bake until edges are firm, about 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until bottom is opaque, about 3 minutes. Cool on a rack. Roast pepper until charred. Place in plastic bag for 10 minutes, then peel and remove seeds and ribs. Dice pepper and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper and beat with whisk to blend in. Add seasonings, corn kernels and shallot mixture. Melt butter then add shallots and corn; sauté 2 minutes. Set aside. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add the herbs, reserved corn and shallot mixture. Squeeze peppers to remove excess liquid and add. Pour mixture into tart pan and bake until slightly puffed and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ratatouille Tart

The secret here is to cook the ratatouille until it is very thick, almost jammy. You can use peppers of any color and vary the green zucchini with yellow summer squash, at will.

1 ready-to-use crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 medium zucchini, sliced or cubed
1 small eggplant, cubed
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, optional

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place prepared pastry in tart pan or pie pan. Line pastry with aluminum foil and add rice or dried beans to weigh down crust. Bake until edges are firm, about 10 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake 3 minutes longer. Cool on rack. In heavy pan heat olive oil; add onions and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and add another minute or two, add zucchini, eggplant and peppers. Sauté, stirring often until vegetables are soft. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat, cover and cook until tomatoes have dissolved and vegetables are soft, but still intact, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat and cook, until thick and jammy about 20 to 30 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Spoon ratatouille mixture into partially baked tart shell, leaving as much juice behind as possible. Fill to about 3/4 filled. Bake until filling has set and pastry edges are golden, abut 15 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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