Tarts can be savory, too!  Tart dough is very versatile and surprisingly easy to prep, which makes it a perfect component for a weekday meal or anytime you want something buttery and flaky (umm, always?).  This recipe uses a standard pie dough ratio (3:2:1 ratio of flour, fat, and water) but can be transformed into a sweet dough by adding powdered sugar to the dry ingredients.  If a food processor isn’t handy, a pastry cutter, fork, or even your hands can be used to mix the dough, as long as the butter stays cold.

The nutty flavors of mushrooms and gruyere cheese pair well with the flaky crust in this recipe.  Other fillings that work well are leeks, sliced potatoes, Parmesan cheese, and basil, to name a few.  Like the mushrooms, you may need to cook down some of your fillings to remove some excess moisture.  Seriously, who likes a soggy crust?  Give your own combination a try and tell us how it goes!

Mushroom Gruyere Tart
Yields: One tart, 6-8 small servings

Ingredients:

Tart dough:

1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) unsalted butter, cold

1 1/8 cups (9 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

4-6 tablespoons (2-3 oz.) water, cold

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 shallot, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

8 oz. cremini (baby ‘bella) mushrooms, sliced

2 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

egg wash (optional)

Prepping the tart dough:

Combine flour and salt with the dough blade in a food processor.  Slice cold butter into 1cm pats and add to dry ingredients.  Pulse until the butter has broken up and the mixture looks crumbly.  Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing again until just combined.  Once the dry flour is incorporated and the mixture starts to form into a ball, remove the dough from the food processor and onto plastic wrap.  Roughly shape the dough into a thick disk before wrapping fully.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Prepping the filling:

While your dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 400F.  Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add garlic, shallot, and red pepper flakes.  Add mushrooms and cook until they’re soft (3-4 minutes), stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat and stir in chopped rosemary.  Set aside.

Assembling & baking:

Remove chilled tart dough from the refrigerator and allow it to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.  Dust your work surface with flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to desired thickness and size/shape.  Continue to lightly dust your rolling pin and surface of your dough if any areas start to stick.  Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat; folding your dough over in half or quarters will help with the transfer.  Pierce the dough in a few places with a fork to keep it from puffing up in the oven.  Lightly brush the dough with olive oil and layer sautéed veggies and gruyere cheese.  Fold over the dough’s edges to create a crust around the filling.  If desired, lightly brush the crust with an egg wash.

Bake the tart for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.  Remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool slightly before cutting it into as many (or as few) slices as you want.  Serve hot or at room temperature.