PLUM AND TOMATO TARTS
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TWO AUGUST TARTS: SAVORY AND SWEET
A SAVORY AND SWEET PLAY ON THE BASIC SUMMER TART: ONE PLUM AND ONE TOMATO
Our basic tart and pie dough coming into play here with a version that is sweet with summer stone fruit and frangipane and the other a savory tomato variation with herbs, cheese and mustard. I read somewhere recently that the french only serve tarts on the special occasions that someone comes for a visit. I don’t know if this is true but I would imagine it must be, as the simple tart is an art that at it’s most basic is provincial, yet on display it is perfection. What a perfect way to present comfort and class to your summer quests.
You can find the pie dough linked here with a tutorial. I will give the formula below as well but for a visual how to go watch the video. This dough can be used for galettes, pies, handpies, tarts (in shell and rustic), and quiche too. It is one of my dough staples as it is basic and versatile and you can make it just about anywhere without getting into to many complications around ingredients.
In addition, I will link the recipe for the Frangipane here, with the recipe below as well.
This is a basic instruction for summer tarts but can be altered and creatively manipulated to satisfy whatever summer craving you are having, whether with peaches, or nectarines. Berries perhaps. Maybe a savory take with other vegetables like the ever bearing summer squash with herbs, onions and cheese. Take what you find and put in in tart dough. You will forever make magic!
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Pie/tart dough
Link here to galette recipe page for tutorial
frangipane
Link here to puff pastry and galette de rois recipe page for frangipane tutorial
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A SAVORY TART: WITH TOMATO: DIJON: GOAT CHEESE OR MOZZARELLA: PARMESAN: GARDEN HERBS
PROCESS:
Roll your dough out to desired size. This is a rustic tart with no tart pan so you will need to have up to 1 inch of dough around the edge that will be folded up around the filling. So make sure to account for that when rolling your dough. You can make this small individual sizes or larger for sharing. I personally like these large enough to put in the center of the table and slice into.
Once you have your dough rolled, chill it back before filling.
While you dough is chilling slice the tomatoes and lay them single layer on a plate or board. Cover with salt and let the liquid drain out. Pat dry with paper towel. This will dry out your tomatoes so that they won’t yield a wet tart in the oven.
Pull out your dough round. Spread a thin layer of a seedy dijon mustard as the bottom layer. Grate some hard parmesan over the mustard. Then lay out your tomatoes slightly overlapping but not piled on top of eachother. Add your goat cheese or mozzarella. Top with herbs. I have used a mix of my garden herbs for this tart: oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil. Save some extra basil to use fresh on top after it comes out of the oven. Drizzle some oil over the top before baking.
Egg wash the outside and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.
Bake at 400 degrees F unitl crust is golden brown and the tomatoes and cheese are bubbling.
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A SWEET TART: WITH SUMMER ASSORTED PLUMS AND FRANGIPANE
PROCESS:
Roll out your tart dough as instructed above for the savory tart. Chill back.
Make you frangipane
Slice plums
Spread frangipane over bottom layer of tart dough. Add the assorted sliced plums. Sprinkle with sugar.
Fold sides up and crimp. Add a couple of dollops of butter over the plums. Egg wash the edges and sprinkle more sugar.
Bake in an oven at 400 degrees F until golden brown and plums bubbling.
Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.
