Posts tagged tart
heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower crust

over the weekend, wes and i catered an event for my good friend lish down in laguna. it was a beautiful backyard lunch, and the food really needed to live up to its surroundings. with the invent of instagram, now more than ever, the pressure is on to produce STUNNING food. food is not just about the taste. it needs to look, smell AND taste good. not to mention, it has to be texturally pleasing. basically the only sense i don't have to stress on is hearing. the point is, i was feeling the pressure to make REALLY PRETTY food. 

the cherry on top? we had gluten free guests. so many of my normal tips and tricks had to go out the window and i had to get really creative. 

insert this tart. the oat & sunflower crust is a flavor packed alternative to the traditional flour based crust of a tart. heirloom tomatoes and basil are a no brainer summer combo, not only for their bright vibrant colors, but for their perfect flavor pairing. mix in some delicious cheese and a couple eggs and you have a sure crowd pleaser on all fronts. try to have just one piece. i dare you. 

heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower seed crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 1.25 cups rolled oats. .75 cup unsalted sunflower seeds. 5 tbs very cold butter, plus a bit extra for the tart pan. 3 tbs cold water. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided. 1 large or two small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin. 5 oz herbed goat cheese. 5 oz ricotta cheese. 5 oz white cheddar, grated. 2 eggs. 2 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup caramelized onions. 3 tbs basil leaves, divided. .25 fresh ground pepper. 9 inch round or large square tart pan. food processor. baking sheet. parchment paper. 

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start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in the bowl of your food process, blend up the oats until they are fine.

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add in the sunflower seeds and once again blend until you have almost a flour like powder. 

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add in half the salt and the butter, pulse until you have pea sized crumbs. 

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with the food processor on, pour in the cold water till the dough has combined in the bowl of the processor. 

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it may still be a bit crumbly, that's ok. lightly butter the sides and base of your tart pan. 

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dump the crust dough into the tart pan. use your hands to press the dough into the shell and up the sides. 

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prick the shell base with a fork and bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn a very light golden brown. be careful not to over cook it as the crust will have to go back into the oven. 

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once your tart crust is baking, line a baking sheet with parchment and set out all your tomato slices to roast. roast the tomatoes till they are starting to dry up (we are trying to eliminate the moisture from the tomatoes). about 30 minutes. be careful not to over do the tomatoes as well. 

while the crust is baking and tomatoes are roasting, make your filling. in a medium bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the pepper, 2 tbs of basil (roughly chopped), the caramelized onions, all three cheeses and the garlic. add in the two eggs and mix everything till well combined. 

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when your tomatoes are done, start to fill up your crust with the filling. top the filling with an even layer of the roasted tomatoes. 

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bake till set and no longer giggly, about 15-20 minutes. 

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remove from the oven and allow it to cool so you can handle it. remove the tart from the pan. use the remaining 1 tbs of basil as fresh garnish for the top of the tart, either slicing them up thin or just using leaves. whatever you prefer. slice and enjoy. 

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xo, a

heirloom tomato tart + oat & sunflower seed crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
ingredients: 1.25 cups rolled oats. .75 cup unsalted sunflower seeds. 5 tbs very cold butter, plus a bit extra for the tart pan. 3 tbs cold water. 1 tsp kosher salt, divided. 1 large or two small heirloom tomatoes, sliced thin. 5 oz herbed goat cheese. 5 oz ricotta cheese. 5 oz white cheddar, grated. 2 eggs. 2 garlic cloves, minced. .25 cup caramelized onions. 3 tbs basil leaves, divided. .25 fresh ground pepper. 9 inch round or large square tart pan. food processor. baking sheet. parchment paper.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in the bowl of your food process, blend up the oats until they are fine. add in the sunflower seeds and once again blend until you have almost a flour like powder. add in half the salt and the butter, pulse until you have pea sized crumbs. with the food processor on, pour in the cold water till the dough has combined in the bowl of the processor. it may still be a bit crumbly, that's ok. lightly butter the sides and base of your tart pan. dump the crust dough into the tart pan. use your hands to press the dough into the shell and up the sides. prick the shell base with a fork and bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it starts to turn a very light golden brown. be careful not to over cook it as the crust will have to go back into the oven. once your tart crust is baking, line a baking sheet with parchment and set out all your tomato slices to roast. roast the tomatoes till they are starting to dry up (we are trying to eliminate the moisture from the tomatoes). about 30 minutes. be careful not to over do the tomatoes as well. while the crust is baking and tomatoes are roasting, make your filling. in a medium bowl, combine the rest of the salt, the pepper, 2 tbs of basil (roughly chopped), the caramelized onions, all three cheeses and the garlic. add in the two eggs and mix everything till well combined. when your tomatoes are done, start to fill up your crust with the filling. top the filling with an even layer of the roasted tomatoes. bake till set and no longer giggly, about 15-20 minutes. remove from the oven and allow it to cool so you can handle it. remove the tart from the pan. use the remaining 1 tbs of basil as fresh garnish for the top of the tart, either slicing them up thin or just using leaves. whatever you prefer. slice and enjoy. 

plum tart + hazelnut crust

ummm.... hello september?! 

where did 2016 go? in my mind i just got married last week so it could only be mid january right? RIGHT?

wrong.

this year is just one holiday season away from being over. and while there is a lot to look forward to, i have a very special anniversary coming up this month. 

september 21st marks one year since i left my corporate job that left me stressed, unhealthy and downright unhappy. but i shed that former skin and embarked on a new journey to create the life that i dreamed of living. 

the last year has been spent hustling and planning and learning and practicing. and while my wallet is a little tighter than my previous life, there are WAY more ups than downs. 

but most importantly, there is a lot of really delicious food. 

last week, after a cancelled swim lesson, i found myself at an empty produce store in the middle of the day. and when you are the only lady in a produce store, you get some extra attention. the man working there introduced me to these stunners...

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welcome to my life "elephant heart" plums. 

and i knew the perfect thing to do with these beauties. 

plum tart + hazelnut crust
serves: 8
prep time: 20
bake time: 40 minutes
chill time : 1 hour
total time: 2 hours
ingredients: crust. 1.5 c hazelnut meal (if you can not find hazelnut meal, no problem. purchase a pack of skinned hazelnuts and blend them yourself in a food processor until they are fine). 4 tbs of butter, melted. 1 tbs honey. 2 tbs sugar. .25 tsp salt. .25 tsp baking soda. 

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filling. .75 c sugar. .75 c milk. 6 oz greek yogurt (i used blueberry but you could use your favorite fruit flavor or no flavor at all). 2 eggs. 2 tsp cornstarch. 1 tsp vanilla extract. 1.5 cups sliced plums (your favorite kind or whatever you can get your hands on).

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start by preheating your oven to 325 f. in a medium bowl, whisk together your dry crust ingredients. drizzle in the honey and pour the butter over the top. mix until just combined. 

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butter an 8 inch springform pan and turn the crust dough out onto the pan. use your fingers to press the dough around to cover the bottom of the pan and start to press it up the sides. when the tart crust is nice and even, bake it till set and light golden brown. about 20 minutes.
when your crust is finished, up the oven temperature to 375 f.
whisk together all remaining ingredients except the plums. you have a choice here. you can either add in the plums to the wet ingredients after they are combined, or you can wait to make a design with them once you have poured your wet filling into crust. bakers choice. 

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when you have poured your filling into the crust and set your plums, bake the tart just until set. about 20-25 minutes.

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allow the tart to cool and then refrigerate it for at least an hour. this well ensure easy and pretty slices. serve cold or at room temp. 

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xo, a

plum tart + hazelnut crust
serves: 8
prep time: 20
bake time: 40 minutes
chill time : 1 hour
total time: 2 hours
ingredients: crust. 1.5 c hazelnut meal (if you can not find hazelnut meal, no problem. purchase a pack of skinned hazelnuts and blend them yourself in a food processor until they are fine). 4 tbs of butter, melted. 1 tbs honey. 2 tbs sugar. .25 tsp salt. .25 tsp baking soda.
filling. .75 c sugar. .75 c milk. 6 oz greek yogurt (i used blueberry but you could use your favorite fruit flavor or no flavor at all). 2 eggs. 2 tsp cornstarch. 1 tsp vanilla extract. 1.5 cups sliced plums (your favorite kind or whatever you can get your hands on).
start by preheating your oven to 325 f. in a medium bowl, whisk together your dry crust ingredients. drizzle in the honey and pour the butter over the top. mix until just combined.
butter an 8 inch springform pan and turn the crust dough out onto the pan. use your fingers to press the dough around to cover the bottom of the pan and start to press it up the sides. when the tart crust is nice and even, bake it till set and light golden brown. about 20 minutes.
when your crust is finished, up the oven temperature to 375 f.
whisk together all remaining ingredients except the plums. you have a choice here. you can either add in the plums to the wet ingredients after they are combined, or you can wait to make a design with them once you have poured your wet filling into crust. bakers choice.
when you have poured your filling into the crust and set your plums, bake the tart just until set. about 20-25 minutes.
allow the tart to cool and then refrigerate it for at least an hour. this well ensure easy and pretty slices. serve cold or at room temp.