Tomato Tart with Caramelized Onions
We make this classic tart from The Pioneer Woman every year.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 large sweet onions, peeled, halved and sliced thin
2 store-bought pie crusts (or 1 good-sized homemade crust)
1½ cups grated Fontina cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Gruyère cheese
3 cups cherry tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
1 egg
¼ cup milk
Basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter, onions, salt, and pepper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 450°. Smush both pie crusts into a ball, knead it around a bit to combine them, then roll it out into one large, thin crust. Lay onto a shallow quarter sheet pan, or cut in half and use 2 standard pie pans. Sprinkle on the cheeses in a single layer, then lay on the caramelized onions, then layer the tomatoes over the cheese.
3. Mix together the egg and milk in a small bowl and brush it all over the crust around the edge of the tart. Bake the tart for 20 to 22 minutes, watching carefully to make sure the crust doesn’t burn. (If the crust is getting brown too fast, reduce the heat to 425°.)
4. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the basil all over the top. Cut into squares and serve.
Smoky Bacon, Sweet Onion & Chanterelle Mushroom Crostata
The show-stopping crostata makes for a delicious entrée; just serve with a side salad of summer greens.
Ingredients:
F&L crostata dough, rolled into a 12-inch circle, wrapped in plastic and chilled in the fridge
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ pound Chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 large sweet onion, such as Walla Walla, thinly sliced, rinsed, and patted dry
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
Method:
1. To prepare the filling: Place bacon in a heavy skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crispy and golden brown on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, let cool and then finely chop. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet and then add the olive oil, before adding the mushrooms, onions and garlic; season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of skillet, until it evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in cream and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed. Remove from heat; stir in bacon, pepper (to taste), walnuts, 2 tablespoons cheese and thyme.
2. Remove the dough from the fridge and let stand on counter for a few minutes, until it’s pliable enough to lift and fold without cracking. Preheat oven to 400° with a rack positioned in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment and transfer the crostata dough to the sheet. Scrape filling onto dough using a spatula, spread into a 9-inch circle. Lift the border of the dough and fold over filling, crimping as you go to create a crust.
3. Bake until the crust is deeply golden and then filling is hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cheese over the filling, and if desired, the crust. Drizzle with oil, if desired. Let cool about 10 minutes or let cool to room temperature, then cut into wedges and serve.
Pear Crostata with Blueberries
This rustic tart is fantastic served for dessert—and then breakfast the next day.
Ingredients:
2 pears
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup all purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg white, beaten
1 premade or store-bought pie dough crust
2 tablespoons raw sugar
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll pie crust into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a sheet pan.
2. For the filling, cut pears in wedges and place them in a bowl. Toss them with the flour, sugar and salt. Fan the pears on the dough circle leaving a 1½-inch border.
3. Sprinkle blueberries on top of pears. Fold over in sections. Use egg wash as glue as you work in sections around the dough. Spread remaining egg wash over folded dough. Dot the crostata filling with butter.
Sprinkle raw sugar over the entire tart. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Rustic Apple Galette
This country-style tart is topped with cinnamon sugar and a gorgeous honey glaze.
Ingredients:
Farm & Larder galette dough, chilled
4 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Peel, halve and core the apples and slice into ¼-inch thick pieces. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry into a 10-12 inch circle and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Decoratively arrange the apple slices over the pastry to within two inches of the edge. Drizzle the honey over apples, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and dot with the pieces of butter. Fold the pastry edge up and over the apples to create a 1 ½-inch border.
3. Bake the galette for 45 – 60 minutes or until the pastry is nicely browned and crisp and the apples are tender. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the galette cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
