Upside-Down Tart with Red Onion

This onion tart has become popular at my home and also quite appreciated when I serve it to my guests so I would like to save this recipe here. The tart is so nice thanks to that perfect dough it is made with. It is flaky as puff pastry but ;not so dry. It is also slightly short and sandy. Because the dough is baked on top of the tart it is not get the moisture from the layer of vegetables and remains crunchy once baked.

This particular tart with red onion is a kind of cold weather dish, but it can be made with a different vegetable depending on season turning it into a spring or summer version. It also can be made with fruits as a dessert. There are no eggs or cream added to the filling just a little bit of goat cheese, and an apple which adds the extra sourness to the tart.

Upside-Down Red Onion Tart

Ingredients:

For the dough--for a 10-inch shallow baking form:
1 cup all purpose flour,
1 stick (8 tbsp) cols unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
4 tbsp iced water,
1 tsp salt,

For the onion layer:
2–3 red onions peeled and sliced in a medium thick slices,
1 cooking apple, preferably sour, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges,
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese,
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme,
salt and pepper to taste,
olive oil for frying.

Preparation:
1. Sift flour onto a working surface. Add salt and butter. Coat the butter with flower. Using fingers smash butter with flower until you get pieces similar to cornflakes, with as much flour as possible incorporated in the butter.
2. Sprinkle cold water on top of the mixture and start to make a ball scraping the dough using a scraper or a wide blade knife. Make a ball by scraping, pressing and folding the dough until almost a smooth ball forms. It can still have some visible pieces of butter in it.
3. Finally, roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic foil to an inch thick layer, fold in three and put in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out again with a rolling pin to an inch thick disk and fold in three again. Repeat two times. When the dough is folded for the third time wrap it in a plastic foil and chill for 20 minutes in a refrigerator.
5. To prepare the filling, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Add onion slices and fry until slightly brown. You can try to preserve the whole slices for a nice presentation, or just mix them.

6. Transfer the fried onion from the frying pan to the bottom of the baking form coated with oil. On the same frying pan heat one tbsp of olive oil and fry apples until soft. Spread them on top of the onion. Season with salt and pepper and finish with thyme.

7. Preheat oven to 375F.
8. Roll out the dough to a 10-inch circle. Transfer it on a rolling pen to the baking form so it covers the onion.

9. Pierce the dough a few times with a fork and bake for about 40 minutes until the top is dark gold.
9. Cool the tart slightly, cover with large serving plate and flip over on the plate. Cut and serve.

Goat Cheese and Herbs Tart

My new double oven works perfectly and even though lately I have been very busy with my life I have no more excuses not to bake. Therefore, today, I am putting out something straight from the oven, and my favorite kind of dish--a tart.

I made it already a couple of times for lunch with friends and have been asked to share the recipe. I think this tart is a perfect spring dish--light and very aromatic thanks to herbs.

Many of my herbs did not survive the harsh winter we had but those that did and a new I planted last week are already big enough to be picked up. Any kind of herbs can be used for that tart but my favorite ones are chives, lemon thyme, and Greek oregano, all of which combine nicely with the cheese filling.

As always, I made my own crust for this tart and it makes a huge quality difference so I would not use any store bought dough. Pastry dough is very easy. It can be made in no time, a couple of days ahead in a food processor or by hand and baked just before serving.

With a light salad and a glass of wine there is nothing better for a Sunday lunch than this tart.



Goat Cheese and Herbs Tart

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour,
6 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes,
2 tbsp vegetable shortening,
a pinch of salt,
4 tbsp ice-cold water,

For the filling:
1 cup cottage cheese,
1 large log ( 10 oz) goat cheese,
3 egg yolks,
1/4 cup all purpose flour,
4 tbsp unsalted room temperature butter,
3 tbsp chopped chives, thyme and oregano.

Preparation:
1. To make a dough, in a bowl of a food processor mix flour, butter, shortening and salt. Mix together until large crumbs form. Add ice-cold water and pulse until a smooth dough forms. Flatten the dough into disk, wrap in a foil and let it chill in a refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Roll the dough to a size of an 11'' tin and transfer it to a 10'' baking tart shell with removable walls. Bake it for about 15 minutes minutes until set but still pale gold.
4. To make a filling, in a food processor beat the cheeses, yolks, flour, and butter until smooth. Add chopped herbs.
5. Spread the filling on the pre-baked crust and bake for about 30 minutes until the top is set and the crust turns gold.

Jerusalem Artichoke Tart with Truffle Cream

It looks like the season for Jerusalem artichokes, which are among my favorite winter vegetables, has started. I saw them in several places, so last week I got a pound of them for the first time this year.

I had a vague idea of but not a concrete recipe for what I would do with them. I wanted to make a tart, something that always works and that I like very much. I imagined that a tart similar to a sweet apple tart, French style but with Jerusalem artichokes could taste great.

I made a pie crust but this time I rolled it out very thin, to the size of a large pizza dish. First, I baked it until set, then I placed a layer of paper-thin artichoke slices. Those familiar with Jerusalem artichokes know that they have a nice earthy and slightly sweet taste. So to contrast their sweetness I added a tbsp of truffle purée to the cream.

These days, truffle purée, or a more affordable truffle-porcini purée, is available in cans or jars in many stores. For example, in our area, Balducci carries it. And although some consider truffles the most overrated gourmet food, I often use truffle aroma to make a bland dish more interesting.

At the end, I covered the tart with grated cheese. I used Gruyère as it has a stronger flavor than most other cheeses and also melts nicely. I think the whole concept worked. The tart came out very well: very thin and slightly crispy from thanks to the artichokes and very aromatic thanks to the truffles.



Jerusalem Artichoke Tart with Truffle Cream
(Serves six)

Ingredients:
For the crust
2 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour,
10 tbsp cold unsalted butter,
1/3 cup vegetable shortening,
3 tbsp sour cream,
3 tbsp ice water,
1 tsp salt.

For the topping
1 lb Jerusalem artichokes peeled,
1 cup table cream,
2 eggs,
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese,
1 tbsp truffle purée,
salt and pepper.

Preparation:
1. The dough can be made in a food processor or by hand. Place flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter (cut into pieces) and shortening and blend with flour until coarse crumbles form.
2. Stir together water and sour cream and add to the flour and make quickly a dough.
3. Place a dough on a working surface dusted with flour and roll into a large rectangle. Fold the rectangle three ways, like a letter page.



4. Roll again the dough into a rectangle and fold again. Repeat it one more time, then wrap it in plastic foil and chill the dough for at least one hour or even over night.
5. Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll out the dough to the size of a large pizza tin, (about 15 inches). Transfer the dough to the tin, pierce with fork and bake for about 20 minutes, until firm but not gold.
6. To make a top slice peeled artichokes on a mandolin slicer and spread them on the pre-baked crust.



7. Mix cream, eggs, truffle purée, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Pour gently and evenly over the artichokes. Cover with grated cheese.



8. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is set and cheese becomes gold. Serve warm with green salad of your choice.

Carrot and Tarragon Savory Tart

Many sources fuel my culinary inspiration. One of them are dinners at friends who are good cooks and always prepare something new and interesting. I have learned to make from my neighbors the recipe for this savory carrot tart. Whenever their invite me over for lunch or dinner, dishes their prepare are always very good, so I often leave their house with a new recipe that I replicate at home. This tart is one of them.

I love tarts and they often feature on my blog. Tarts make for a simple and delicious one-dish meal that can be served either for lunch or dinner. Mostly vegetarian tarts can be filled with anything and be prepared partially some time ahead. So many more tart recipes will be appearing here soon.

I already ate this carrot tart twice but last time my neighbors made it I remembered to ask for the recipe. As it turned out the recipe was coming from the Eating Well magazine and it was a little bit healthier recipe than the tart recipes usually are. The tart was much lighter than other tarts I knew. Both the crust and the filling were made with yogurt, so the tart was low on butter and cream which other recipes call for. Fresh tarragon leaves added extra flavor to the delicate and sweet carrots.

I made small changes to the original recipe and by adding colorful carrot I think I made it the tart look even more appetizing.

Carrot and Tarragon Savory Tart
(For a 9-inch bottom tart form with removable walls)

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour,
1/2 cup whole wheat flour,
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter,
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil,
1/4 cup low fat natural yogurt

Filling:
1 and 1/2 cup grated carrot,
1 cup sliced red onion,
2 tbsp olive oil,
2 tbsp rice vinegar,
1 tbsp Dijon mustard,
1/2 cup low fat yogurt,
1/2 cup 2 percent milk,
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Gruyère cheese
2 large eggs,
2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon,
salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preparation:

Crust:
1. Mix both flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it makes crumbles. Pour in olive oil and yogurt and pulse until a dough starts to form.
2. Grease the form with a little bit of butter or oil and transfer the dough to the form. Push slightly on the bottom and make the wall. Chill in the refrigerate while preparing the top.
3. Preheat oven to 350F and bake the crust for about 15 minutes until set but still light.

Filling:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy duty pan and add the sliced onion. Fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft and transparent. Add the grated carrot and fry for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add chopped tarragon and rice vinegar and mix. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl whisk together yogurt, milk and eggs. Add carrot with onion and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper. At last, fold in grated cheese. Mix again.

3. Spread the mustard on the bottom of the crust and pour in filling on top. Spread it and bake the whole tart for another 40-45 minutes.
4. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with green salads.