Summer Vegetable Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in butter and shortening until pea-size pieces form. With machine running, add enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before continuing.)
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim dough overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang in; press to form double-thick sides. Pierce bottom of dough all over with fork. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust until golden, piercing with fork if bubbles form, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Whisk cheese, cream, sour cream, salt, and cayenne in medium bowl to blend. Add eggs and whisk to blend. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and fennel and sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and corn; sauté until all vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mound vegetables on top of tart and sprinkle with basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Mix water and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
• Stir 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture forms fine crumbs. Do not overmix, or pastry will be tough. Stir in enough vanilla water to pull dough together. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Roll dough out into a 12-inch circle. Gently transfer to an 11-inch tart pan. Pat dough into place, cutting off edges and aligning pastry along the edges of the pan. Freeze pastry shell until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake pastry shell in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Prick any large bubbles with the tip of a knife. Allow to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold in whipped cream.
• Spread filling into the cooled tart shell, smoothing out to reach the edges. Arrange mandarin oranges, strawberries, kiwi slices, and berries over the top, covering as much of the filling as possible. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. If you like, you can sprinkle Gruyère or Cheddar onto the center of the liner or paper in an approximate 10-by-13-inch rectangle.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, Parmesan, lemon zest or rosemary, garlic (if using), and pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. Beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to form a 10-by-13-inch rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to prepared baking sheet. (Place directly on top of the grated cheese, if applicable.) With a sharp knife, lightly score a 3/4-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry, making sure not to cut the pastry all the way through. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over inside the border at 1-inch intervals.
• Spread crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Arrange vegetables in an even layer, using just enough to cover the surface in one layer. Scatter scallions and thyme or rosemary sprigs on top. Lightly drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the vegetables are cooked through, about 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve topped with microgreens, herbs or baby lettuces, and accompanied by lemon or lime wedges, for squeezing.

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip the flour into a bowl with 1/ 2 tsp salt. Add the butter and rub in using your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir through the cheese with a cutlery knife. Add the egg yolk, drizzle over 1 tbsp cold water, then use the knife to stir it in until clumps of dough start to form. Tip onto a work surface and bring the dough together with your hands into a smooth ball. Alternatively, you can make the pastry in a food processor. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 20 mins.
• Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the sweet potatoes, courgettes and aubergines lengthways as thinly as possible. Brush the aubergine slices with lemon juice as you go to prevent them from turning brown. Put the sweet potato in a bowl with 2 tsp water, cover with cling film and cook in a microwave on high for 2 mins, then remove and leave to cool. Do the same with the courgettes and aubergines, but cook for just 30 secs, then set aside.
• Take the pastry out of the fridge and roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Line a 23cm fluted tart tin with the pastry. Trim the sides with a pair of kitchen scissors, leaving an overhang of about 1cm. Chill for another 10 mins. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and put a baking tray on the middle shelf.
• When the pastry is cold and firm, line with baking parchment (scrunch it up first to make it more pliable), then fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, then remove the beans and parchment and bake for 5 mins more until the pastry is biscuity.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the mascarpone, eggs, pesto, breadcrumbs and Gruyère in a bowl, season and mix well. Remove the pastry case from the oven, trim the sides with a small sharp knife so they're flush with the top of the tin, then spread the filling over the base.
• Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Drain any liquid from the vegetables, pat dry on kitchen paper, then season them all well. Stack a slice of sweet potato, courgette and aubergine on top of each other then, starting from one end, roll into a spiral. Put in the middle of the tart. Layer up another three vegetable slices, then wrap these around the spiralled veg in the centre. Continue until the tart is full and you have created a rose effect. Sprinkle thyme leaves between the layers and drizzle the tart with oil.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-45 mins until the vegetables are tender and the filling has set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before removing. Serve warm or cold.

Steps:

• Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Demerara sugar in an approximate 10-by-13-inch rectangle in the center of the liner or paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add fruit, lemon juice, honey and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, mix well, making sure fruit is coated with the cornstarch mixture. Set aside to macerate while rolling out dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the cold puff pastry out to form a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Work quickly, as the pastry becomes sticky as it warms up. Transfer the dough to prepared baking sheet, laying it on top of the Demerara sugar. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 3/4-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry, making sure not to cut the pastry all the way through. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over inside the border at 1-inch intervals.
• Give the fruit another toss to dissolve any honey that may have clumped. Arrange fruit mixture in an even layer on pastry within the border, pouring the juices from the bowl over the top. Sprinkle the top of the tart, including the fruit and pastry borders, with more Demerara sugar.
• Bake until the pastry is puffed and deeply golden and the fruit is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire tack to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving (or up to 4 hours). If the fruit looks dry when the tart comes out of the oven, you can brush it with a little more honey while it's still warm. Serve with whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.