CLASSIC CRUST RECIPES If your kitchen is cool, the dough has chilled, and your work surface and rolling pin are floured, you should have no trouble rolling out the dough and transferring it to the tart pan. If your dough tears or sticks to the rolling pin, it is either too warm or needs more flour, or both. Knead in a bit more flour, rechill the dough, and start again. Don't despair if the dough tears and you don't have time to rechill it: crusts can always be "patched" with a leftover bit of dough, with no loss of taste and allure and no one the wiser! If you have a bit of leftover dough and want to enhance your tart's presentation, roll out the excess dough and, using a small, leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out pastry leaves. Lay them around the rim of the tart, one slightly overlapping the other. Brush with a bit of egg glaze, then bake as directed. Pate Brisee FLAKY SHORT-CRUST PASTRY The pate brisee is the simplest and most straightforward pastry crust, composed of just flour, butter, salt, and water. It is the perfect base for most savory hors d'oeuvre and appetizer tarts, and also works well with some sweet fruit tarts. 1 1/2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 8 TABLESPOONS (1 STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER, CHILLED AND CUT INTO SMALL PIECES 1/2 TEASPOON SALT 4 TABLESPOONS ICE WATER Combine the flour, butter, and salt in a food processor or mixing bowl. Process 10 to 12 seconds, or mash with your fingertips, until the mixture has a dry, crumbly texture resembling coarse cornmeal. Add the water to the mixture and pulse 12 to 14 times, or work together with your fingertips, just until the dough begins to hold together in a mass, but before it turns into a ball. (The crust can become tough if it is processed even a few seconds too long.) If the dough is too dry and dense, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water and pulse 2 or 3 times, or work with your fingertips. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, work it into a ball in your hands, then transfer it to a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Flatten the dough into a neat, smooth disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at lest 1 hour. (You can make this dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.) MAKES ONE 12-INCH CRUST Tarte provencale a la courge PROVENCAL SQUASH TART High on a hill in lower Provence, just a short drive from the Mediterranean harbor towns of Bandol and Sanary-sur-Mer, sits a lovely village inn called the Hostellerie Berard. The inn, the creation of renowned local chef Rene Berard and his dynamic wife, Daniele, dominates the main street of La Cadiere d'Azur, an old-fashioned Provencal village that might have sprung full-blown from the novels of Marcel Pagnol. Sweet breezes scented with thyme and lavender waft through the luminous yellow dining room where Rene's savory creations, such as this scrumptious squash tart, tempt diners from throughout Provence and the Riviera up the steep, winding road to La Cadiere. For the Pastry 1 1/2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 8 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 4 TABLESPOONS COLD WATER 1 TEASPOON SALT For the Filling 6 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL 1 POUND (4 MEDIUM) ONIONS, VERY FINELY CHOPPED 2 BAY LEAVES 2 SPRIGS FRESH OR DRIED THYME 3 POUNDS (APPROXIMATELY 1 MEDIUM) WINTER OR ACORN SQUASH, PEELED AND DICED VERY SMALL 4 LARGE EGGS, LIGHTLY BEATEN 2 1/2 CUPS GRUYERE CHEESE, FRESHLY GRATED (ABOUT 6 OUNCES) 1 CUP COOKED LONG-GRAIN RICE 1 TEASPOON SALT 1/4 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER 1/2 CUP UNSEASONED BREAD CRUMBS To make the pastry: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, olive oil, water, and salt. Process about 12 seconds until ingredients are well-blended and crumbly. Remove from the bowl, knead in your hands for 2 minutes-adding a bit of flour if the dough seems too oily-then press into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to a circle 14 inches in diameter and 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a greased 10 1/2-inch tart pan, pressing the dough gently into the corners and sides of the pan. Trim the edges, leaving a 1/3-inch border extending above the pan. Fold this 1/3 inch of dough over upon itself and pinch the edges gently all around, or crimp lightly with a fork to make a design. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat the over to 375 F. Line the tart shell with aluminum foil, then fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove rice or beans and aluminum foil, bake 2 more minutes, then set aside on a wire rack to cool. To make the filling: Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bay leaves, and thyme, lower the heat to medium low, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, until the onions are translucent and just beginning to get tinged with gold, about 25 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme, add the squash, drizzle in the remaining olive oil, and stir well to combine with the onions. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the squash "melts" into a soft mush, about 40 minutes. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, let cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Mash and stir the squash mixture to remove any remaining lumps. Add the eggs and cheese and whisk briskly to blend. Then add the rice, salt, and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Pour into the tart shell, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top, and bake on the center rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the filling is firm in the center. Set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm, accompanied by a crisp green salad of mesclun or arugula and a chilled rose wine from Provence. SERVES 6 TO 8 Note: The filling for this tart also makes a delicious side dish for turkey, roast pork, or grilled swordfish. Prepare the filling as directed, pour into a buttered ceramic casserole or other oven-to-table baking dish, top with bread crumbs, and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Tartes Normandes NORMANDY APPLE TARTS Researching a book on Normandy several years ago gave me the wonderful opportunity to spend two months in this beautiful province, living in Deauville, the stylish seaside town in the departement of Calvados. During my time in Normandy, a fertile region blanketed with apple orchards, I came to know and love many terrific apple dishes, particularly the distinctive apple tarts. This traditional version of the Normandy apple tart, with an apple compote filling topped by sliced apples, is the perfect recipe for anyone just beginning to develop a classic sweet tart repertoire. 1 10 1/2-INCH PATE BRISEE SHELL, UNBAKED 4 POUNDS (ABOUT 8) GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES 8 TABLESPOONS (1 STICK) UNSALTED BUTTER 1/4 CUP WATER 3/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR 1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT 1/2 CUP CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR Note: Golden Delicious apples range in color from pale green to butter yellow; for baking purposes, choose apples that are yellow-green in tone-the ones that are bright yellow are often too ripe and mealy. Peel, core, and chop half of the apples into small pieces. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter without letting it brown. Add the chopped apples, stirring to coat them well with butter. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the apples for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water, stir to blend, and continue cooking the apples for 10 more minutes. Add the granulated sugar, stir to blend, and cook until the apples are very soft and golden, and all the moisture has evaporated, about another 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Peel, core, and halve the remaining apples. Cut them into thin, even slices about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the apple compote over the bottom of the pastry shell. Arrange the apple slices, one slightly overlapping the other, in tight concentric circles on top of the compote, working form the outside edge into the center, so that all the compote is covered with apples. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and spoon it over the apple slices, then sift 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar evenly over the top of the tart. Bake for 50 minutes in the center of the oven. Sift the remaining confectioners' sugar over the tart and bake until the apple slices are browned and several have slightly blackened edges, another 5 to 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. SERVES 6 TO 8 Excerpted from French Tarts: 50 Savory and Sweet Recipes by Linda Dannenberg, Guy Bouchet All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
