Smart main dish tarts: combine savory fillings with shortcut crusts to craft stylish entrees - Food/Entertaining

Sunset, Oct, 2002 by Charity Ferreira

Baking a beautiful main-dish tart tends to be too time-consuming to do on a regular basis, but the elegant simplicity of a hearty tart is hard to resist for an autumn lunch or dinner. With a little ingenuity, the wide variety of prepared doughs available in the refrigerator and freezer cases of the grocery store can quickly turn into tasty crusts for all kinds of savory pastries. Once you're free to concentrate your efforts on flavorful fillings--like chard and ricotta, golden squash custard with sage, sauteed mushrooms, or thinly sliced potatoes topped with capers and smoked salmon--assembling an impressive one-dish meal becomes a much simpler proposition.

Smoked Salmon and Potato Galette

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: Accompany slices of this tart with dressed salad greens for a light lunch entree.

MAKES: 3 to 4 servings

2  teaspoons olive oil

1  cup rinsed and thinly sliced leeks
   (white and pale green parts only)

8  ounces Yukon Gold or
   thin-skinned white potatoes

1  9- by 9-in, sheet frozen puff
   pastry dough (half of a
   17.3-oz. package), thawed
   Salt and pepper

2  tablespoons whipping cream

1  tablespoon drained capers

4  ounces thinly sliced smoked
   salmon

1. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until very limp, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice crosswise very thinly (1/16 in.). Lay puff pastry dough flat on a lightly floured board. Trim off corners to form a circle and, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out slightly o make an 11-inch round. Transfer to a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet.

3. Spread leeks in the center of dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange potato slices in slightly overlapping layers over leeks, sprinkling each layer lightly with salt and pepper. Fold in edges of dough over potatoes. Drizzle cream over potatoes.

4. Bake in a 375[degrees] regular or convection oven, rotating baking sheet midway through baking time, until crust is brown and potatoes are tender when pierced, about 35 minutes (if crust is brown before potatoes are tender, cover tart loosely with foil).

5. Top tart with capers and smoked salmon slices while warm. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Per serving: 470 cal., 56% (261 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 29 g fat (5.3 g sat.) 41 g carbo (2.1 g fiber); 825 mg sodium; 15 mg chol.

Frozen puff pastry makes an easy and elegant tart crust.

Kabocha-Leek Tart

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour 45 minutes

NOTES: You can cook and puree the squash and cook the leeks (steps 1 and 2) up to 1 day ahead; cover separately and chill. If you have leftover squash puree, freeze it for stirring into soup or risotto.

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

    2  pounds kabocha
       or butternut squash
    1  tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2  cups rinsed and thinly sliced
       leeks (white and pale green
       parts only)
    3  large eggs
  3/4  cup milk
  1/3  cup whipping cream
    1  tablespoon chopped
       fresh sage leaves
  3/4  teaspoon salt
  1/4  teaspoon pepper
    1  11-inch-round refrigerated pie
       dough (half of a 15-oz. package)
  3/4  cup (about 3 oz.) shredded
       gruyere or parmesan cheese

1. Cut squash in half crosswise and scoop out seeds. Place cut side down on a 12- by 15-inch baking pan or sheet, cover with foil, and bake in a 425[degrees] regular or convection oven until soft when pierced, 25 to 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh and whirl in a blender or food processor until smooth. You will need 1 1/2 cups puree (see notes).

2. Meanwhile, pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

3. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and cream to blend. Whisk in squash puree, sage, salt, and pepper.

4. Unfold pie dough and ease gently into a 9-inch tart pan with removable rim, pressing against sides of pan; trim off overhanging dough flush with rim. Place tart pan on an uninsulated baking sheet. Scatter leeks, then cheese evenly over bottom of crust; pour in squash mixture (discard any filling that does not fit in shell).

5. Bake on the bottom rack of a 425[degrees] regular or 375[degrees] convection oven for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 375[degrees] (350[degrees] for convection oven) and bake until custard is puffed up and browned, 10 to 15 more minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove pan rim. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Per serving: 301 cal., 54% (162 cal.) from fat; 7.8 g protein; 18 g fat (8 g sat.); 29 g carbo (2 g fiber); 395 mg sodium; 110 mg chol.

Chard and Ricotta Torta

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

NOTES: You can cook the chard (steps 2 and 3) up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Frozen bread dough is usually sold in packages containing two or three 1-pound portions. To thaw, remove one portion, place on a lightly floured surface, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes.