Savory Provencal Vegetable Tart Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup chilled butter cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup bacon fat, lard, or shortening, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper
• 1 teaspoon Rataouille seasoning or other French herb blend
• 1/2 cup plain marinara sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
• 1 small summer squash
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 bell pepper (any color)
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 4 oz goat cheese
• high-quality olive oil for drizzling

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400

For the Crust:

Put butter and fat into a medium mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, aleppo pepper, and French herbs (rub herbs between palms to powder before adding). Use a pastry knife or two butter knives to cut butter and fat into flour until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and knead until dough forms a ball, adding 1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Keep your hands and equipment as cold as possible during this stage so the butter doesn't melt. Roll out dough on a floured surface and transfer to 10 or 12 inch tart pan.

For the Vegetables:

Mix marinara sauce, chopped garlic, and Italian herbs. Spread evenly across the bottom of the tart.

Slice squash, zucchini, and tomatoes into 1/4" thick rounds. Cut onion into thin strips, and cut bell pepper into thin rings. Starting at the outside, layer the squash, zucchini and bell pepper until the tart is covered. Make a second layer of the tomatoes and onion. Powder the dried basil in your hand and dust over the tomatoes. Scatter bits of goat cheese across the top.

Loosely cover tart with tin foil and put in the oven at 400. Immediately lower heat to 350 and bake for 1 hour, removing tin foil halfway through. After taking the tart out of the oven, drizzle the top with high-quality olive oil.

Helpful Hints

I used frozen bacon fat for the crust because I had a bunch on hand, but shortening or even all butter would work fine. Half butter half shortening will probably give the flakiest crust.

For the goat cheese I prefer Capriole Farms but any kind will work, or you can substitute feta or parmesan.

Credit

This recipe was provided by The Spice House.

Cuisines, Courses and Ingredients

• Appetizer, Brunch, French, Main Dish, Vegetable, Vegetable

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