Dream Summer Tart
With herby farmers’ cheese, capers, buttery red onion and lemon slices, leeks, and tiny potatoes
With herby farmers’ cheese, capers, buttery red onion and lemon slices, leeks, and tiny potatoes
If you make this, tag @forliving.co on Instagram— would love to see!
This is a perfect dinner for a crowd when doubled or simply paired with a big salad, and also a fairly easy dinner for two on its own. Adding the red onion and lemon slices to a pan with lots of butter softens them wonderfully and then adding them ontop of the tart and into the oven crisps some of the edges ever so slightly, and this is one of my all-time favorite ways to eat a lemon, peel and all. * For the leeks and baby potatoes: if you use a mandolin to thinly slice, reduce cook time from Step 2 to 15 minutes. Roast for 20 minutes if you use a knife to slice since they’ll likely be a bit thicker!
Ingredients:
For the red onions and lemons
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 Meyer lemon or small regular lemon, scrubbed then thinly sliced (seeds removed)
Capers, 3 Tbsp, drained
For the oven
Frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (I recc. Dufour)
2 leeks, light parts only, thinly sliced*
4-5 small yellow baby potatoes, thinly sliced*
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
For the cheese
Farmers’ cheese or whipped ricotta, 16oz
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-5 Tbsp finely chopped chives or dill
4 garlic cloves, smashed and thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Glug of olive oil
For serving
Torn dill and/or chopped chives
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425ºF. Roll the puff pastry out into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. (The Dufor brand comes as a rectangle and only needs to be unfolded.) Using a paring knife, lightly score a border around the perimeter of the puff pastry about ¼ inch away from the edge.
2. Place the puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over inside the border using a fork to prevent puffing in the center. Bake on top rack until it’s lightly golden, 15-20 minutes. Check after 15! Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
3. Toss the potatoes and leeks with 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and spread across a baking sheet. Roast on the bottom rack (underneath the puff pastry), until the edges are golden brown: 15-20 minutes, taking them out halfway through to toss.
4. Add butter to a non-stick skillet over medium heat and once foaming, add red onion and lemon slices. Let cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Once lightly golden on the bottom, flip them over and add the capers to the pan. Turn the heat up slightly, and let them sizzle for 3 more minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. Season farmer's cheese with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, finely chopped chives/dill, thinly sliced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and a glug of olive oil, mixing well until fully combined. You’ll likely need a tsp. or two of kosher salt: taste as you go until it’s feeling well-balanced between light and creamy vs. bright and savory.
5. Spread the cheese mixture onto the puff pastry up to the border and arrange the leeks, potatoes, red onions, lemons, and capers on top. Bake until the veggies are tender and the edges of the cheese mixture are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Check and make sure your oven temp stays at 425ºF! Mine likes to jump up by about 50ºF and you won’t want it to burn the puff.
6. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs, flaky salt and another pinch of red pepper flakes before serving. Enjoy!
Note
*You can thaw the puff pastry on the countertop for about 30 minutes, or let it thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours before dinner. In a pinch, I’ve let it sit on a pan on top of the stove as it heats up, then unfolded it and let it continue thawing on the counter. All options yield essentially the same result in my experience!