Summertime … “and the eatin’ is easy. If August is anything like July, it’s hot. Who feels like cooking a big dinner or eating yet another limp salad?
You can solve your summer eating problems by taking time to fix a tasty tart or quiche. And yes, real men—and women of course—do eat quiche.
What is a tart?
According to my favorite dictionary of food terms, The Food Lover’s Companion, “a tart is a pastry crust with shallow sides, a filling (custard) and no top crust.” Perfect food to beat the heat; light, easy to eat and best of all—it can be savory when made with meats, cheeses and vegetables.
Most people think of tarts as individual, fruit-filled desserts. But no, my food-loving friends, the tart is so much more these days. Tarts, cut into slices or pieces, or baked in mini-sizes, can be served as appetizers or paired with mixed greens as part of the salad course. Full-size servings of a savory tart paired with steamed or roasted vegetables can serve as a delicious entree.
And then there are the dessert tarts. Tarte Tatin, a classic French upside-down apple tart is said to have been invented by two single French women. According to The Companion, they earned their living selling it. The French call it “tarte des demoiselles Tatin,” which means “the tart of two unmarried women named Tatin.” How would you like to have your marital status—or lack of—immortalized like that?
So what’s a quiche then?
Regardless of who does or does not eat quiche, it’s not that much different in composition from most tarts. It’s custard made of eggs, cream or a mix of milk and cream, seasonings and fillings—all in a pastry crust with no top. You say tomato, I say tomahto!
A quiche is traditionally baked in a quiche pan that has fluted, straight sides and, if it’s metal, a removable bottom. A classic—Quiche Lorraine—from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, is made memorable by adding bacon bits and Gruyere cheese to the filling.
Tarts are baked in a tart pan, which is the same pan used for making quiches. The difference between a pie pan and a tart pan is the tart pan has straight sides as opposed to the sloping sides of a pie pan. Both tart and quiche pans are not very deep and can range in size from four inches in diameter for an individual-size pan to as much as 12 inches in diameter for the full-size serving. Whether you choose to call it quiche or tart, there are many recipes you can start with or adapt to what you and your family like. A word about the crust: Purists make their own crust. If you have time and like working with dough I say—go for it! Using a food processor certainly speeds up the process. Just remember to re-chill your dough after you have processed it and not to over-process it. You don’t want your butter or other fat to melt.
If you want to save time, use a pre-made piecrust. I like the kind found in the refrigerator case at the grocery story that has to be unrolled. These crusts taste good and are easy to work with. You can also use puff pastry, pate brisée or pate sucrée, depending on what kind of crust, or level of sweetness you like.
Here is a recipe I’ve played around with. Tarts and quiches don’t have to be fattening, remember, portion size is everything. Enjoy the summer and stay cool with a tempting tart!
Tarte a la orange
(A version of the classic French Tarte au Citron)
Pastry: 1 pre-made pie crust, thawed
Filling:
1/4 c. Freshly squeezed tangerine, mandarin oranges or Clementine juice*
1 T. Tangerine, zested
3 lg. Eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. Sugar
1/3 c. Heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll dough and fit into an 8-inch pie pan or a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Prick sides and bottom with fork. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove and reduce heat to 300 degrees.
To make filling, whisk together all ingredients lightly and pour into the slightly cooked pastry. Return to oven for 20 minutes or until the filling has set. Serve warm with Freddy’s Frozen Custard and/or whipped cream.
Serves 6-8
*Original recipe called for the juice of two large lemons. You can use the lemons if you like; I have tried Key limes and Meyer lemons and I would use a little less than 1/4 juice for this version if the juice is very tart.
