Smoky Zucchini Mascarpone Tart

James beard once said that "a gourmet who counts calories is like a tart who looks at her watch." Well, James, I couldn't have said it better myself. I wish I could say that this was the explanation for my tart fixation recently, but really I didn't come across this saying until after both this tart and last week's nectarine, cheesecake, gingersnap tart were long gone. I love tarts, the kind you eat of course, because they are a generally simple way to make a dish a little more exciting and pretty. They look refined, finished and composed, and an onlooker might believe that much time and effort was put into it when really, it was a snap.

Oddly enough, this dish was not created by the abundance of summer squash at every turn, but rather by an old bag of spelt flour I had in my fridge. After organizing my fridge for the umpteenth time the other day (yes, I can be a wee bit obsessive about certain things) I decided that the flour had been neglected for far too long and deserved some time to showcase itself. Well, if I may say, the spelt performed wonderfully, resulting in a crumbly and nutty tasting crust that was the perfect accompaniment to the sweet zucchini and creamy mascarpone. The smokiness comes from applewood smoked salt, an ingredient acquired thanks to a tartier moment, but I'll save that story for a later time.

That smokiness paired with the pungent aroma of the chives is what makes this tart anything other than usual. However, those flavors are not so overwhelming that they detract from the summer squash whose oh-so-sweet and buttery nature is just as good raw as it is enrobed in mascarpone. The latter, of course, is quite obvious. I mean I am pretty sure that if my middle name were 'enrobed in mascarpone' people would probably like me more too. I digress, the point is that this tart, like many tarts (or so I've heard) is very good, satisfying, and will last at least an evening if not longer. If you have a mandoline or a benriner slicer* its also very easy (as most tarts are known to be). Most importantly anyone you serve it to will think that you are a refined, culinary genius, truly anything but a tart; but if only they knew where that smoky salt came from....

*$20, buy it now, you won't regret it and no they didn't pay me to say that.

Smoky Zucchini Masparpone Tart
(yields 1, 9-inch tart)

Crust
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons spelt flour

Filling
3 medium sized zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick or any summer squash will do.
1 small onion, shaved in rounds
2 eggs
3/4 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 teaspoons smoked salt
a few turns of a pepper grinder

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare the crust by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and pressing into a 9-inch tart pan. Bake for 9 minutes, until golden. Let cool completely and keep the oven on.
2) In a blender combine the eggs, mascarpone, chives, salt and pepper. Blend until combined.
3) Lay the zucchini slices in concentric circles in the prepared tart shell, there should be enough for about two layers. Pour the filling evenly over the zucchini. Top with the onions.
4) Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are soft and the top is golden. The filling should be firm to the touch and slightly puffed up. Let cool.
5) Serve a room temperature. This tart should be good for a few days in the fridge, bring to room temperature before serving.

Dinner Parties/Parmiggiano Popovers

Parmiggiano popovers, braised short ribs, homemade tagliatelle, sauteed broccolini, balsamic glazed cippolini onions and finally, chocolate-croissant bread pudding. If you're mouth isn't watering yet, you should know that this is a very real menu and one which I made this past Friday for a group of 10 friends. If I may humbly stroke my own ego, dinner was awesome. I could not have been happier and I am pretty sure that my guests left as well fed and satisfied as I could have hoped. The only problem with this dinner is that I have no pictures to show for it. Well no pictures except for the ones of these popovers, which I have deemed the best part of the meal (only because I get to showcase them here). Do not despair; I will be remaking a lot of the dishes so that I can post recipes and pictures, so consider the 'menu' a tease of what's to come on TBD. In the meantime, let's get back to the popovers.

These popovers do really deserve a whole post's worth of attention, actually I would say that they might even deserve two posts worth of attention, but I don't want to be boring. I planned, unplanned and replanned Friday's dinner about 25 million times before I finally settled on a menu and these popovers were a very last minute decision. Not usually an impulsive person, I sure am glad that I decided to make these fluffy little guys on a whim, because they are officially my obsession of the week. And I am not just saying that because I actually have pictures of them. To me, popovers have always been that special treat that restaurants serve in their breadbaskets instead of boring old bread, but I knew that a homemade version could only be better, fresher and more satisfying. I was right.

I have always had plain popovers, but I couldn't resist adding some cheese to these and I have absolutely no regrets about that (shocker!). These bulbous, muffin-looking things 'pop' because of all the steam created on the inside, hence the name.

Weaknesses/Cheesy Beer Bread

So after doing a little bit of math/seeing on Blogger that this is my 60th post, I feel like it's time for me to confess something. You see, as it turns out I am not perfect. Now, I am not going to get into the personal nitty gritty of my flaws and weaknesses. I do want to tell you, however, that you should never leave me alone with a plate of sweet potato fries or a wheel of cheese (should you choose to break this rule, any good cheese will do). The latter are definitely some of my favorites, but my absolute greatest weakness is savory baked goods. Don’t get me wrong I always love cookies, cakes and the likes, but that love pales in comparison the way I feel about these savory treats.

Quiches, focaccia (or good bread of any kind for that matter), cheese croissants, you name it and chances are it makes me weak in the knees. You may be asking yourself why I haven't posted many such recipes here at TBD and the answer is simple, I lack the self-control. I hate to admit it, but I am scared to have these around my house because in their presence I am no longer myself. It's like love, put me next to one of these treats and everything I ever thought I knew about myself goes straight out the window. Elegant, petite bites become chomps; finger sucking takes the place of napkins; and a 'portion' means the whole thing, no matter how big it is.