A Vegetable Tart to Capture Summer

Welcoming September with open arms... Don't get me wrong, I wish summers in Montreal could be longer, but the cool evenings and sharp breeze in the mornings are a welcome shift from the stiffling heat we've had all summer. Still, it is rather sad when the days become noticeably shorter, and the streets no longer resonate with the happy shouts of children during the day...



Many of you may be in the midst of back-to-school preparations, and though the last long week-end of the summer offers a little respite, come Tuesday will it be go-go-go until the next holiday. Evenings already seem to be more full and rushed. Dinner may sometimes feel like an after-thought. But it needn't be, and it can still be lovely even if it is.



Enter the Clean Out the Fridge Tart. This is obviously a reiteration of the Harvest Tart, renamed to make it more accessible, and revisited just to remind you that simple can be easy and delicious. I had meant to post the update ages ago, but then the heat wave hit, the oven remained untouched for the most part -except for when bread needed to get baked. But now that the mercury has descended to more reasonable levels, hot food for dinner no longer seems like a crazy idea.



Back when I blogged about pantry essentials, I had included puff pastry as a staple to have on hand, despite it being a freezer staple. Ready-made puff pastry, whether homemade or store-bought, can be a lifesaver as it has both sweet and savoury uses. My mum always used to have short crust pie shells on hand,  but I prefer pastry sheets because I find them more flexible.



There is no real recipe for this tart, all you need to do is defrost the pastry, pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/425ºF, and empty out your vegetable drawer and fruit basket. You'll want to use vegetables that you enjoy raw and cooked: depending on your oven, the cooking time can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as 30 minutes, and the toppings can be anywhere between hot-but-nearly-raw or cooked through. Watery vegetables, like tomatoes, or fruits like figs should be added near the end to prevent excessive juicing that can render the crust quite soggy.



Slice everything as thinly as you can manage, either by using a vegetable peeler to reduce everything into ribbons, or by chopping away with your knife. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some herbs or spice, if you want. The possibilities are endless here, you are only truly limited by what you happen to have on hand. I have listed some of my favourite combinations, but feel free to let your imagination go,



Favourite Combinations for the Clean-The-Fridge-Out-Tart 

Cherry tomato halves, olives, zucchini (courgette) ribbons, basil, red onions, capers, anchovies and goat cheese (optional)

Broccoli florets, sweet peppers, garlic, button mushrooms, spring onions, Gruyère or Cheddar cheese, eggs

Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cumin seeds, radishes, sun-dried tomato pesto

Goat cheese, almonds/hazelnuts/pecans/pistachios, figs, honey

Kale, walnuts/pecans/cashew nuts, roasted red peppers or muhamarra, garlic, onion marmalade



When the puff pastry is sufficiently defrosted, roll out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. 'Waterproof' the pastry by drizzling with an oil of your choice or by slathering on some pesto or cheese. Pile on the seasoned vegetables, and pop into the oven. Bake until the pastry is evenly browned: if the top is browning more quickly than the bottom is crisping up, cover with a sheet of foil. If, on the other hand, the bottom is browning more quickly than the top, turn on the broiler, but keep an eye on the tart! When the tart looks to be nearly done, add the juicier vegetables or fruits such as tomatoes and figs, and sprinkle with soft cheeses (mozzarella, goat cheese, ricotta), or crack a few eggs on top, and allow to cook a bit more.





Bon App'!