It’s not so important which vegetables you use in these colorful, nutritious tarts—rather, that there is a seasonal bounty. Here, eggplant, red onion, zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, kale, and red bell peppers fill cornmeal crusts, but you could easily use green beans, corn, or mushrooms. The crust is light and crisp, with less butter than many pastry doughs. To make free-form versions, spoon filling onto center of each dough round, and fold the edges inward. Serve each tartlet with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese, if desired. Add a green salad to balance out a healthy lunch.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 6
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Filling
Preparation
Step 1
Make the crust: Pulse flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture; pulse just until dough holds together. Divide dough in half, and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out six 8-inch rounds, gathering scraps and rerolling dough. Fit rounds into 4-inch springform pans or tart pans with removable bottoms, pleating dough along edge. Trim excess dough flush with rims. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add bell peppers, and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add zucchini, squash, eggplant, and onion; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and salt; season with black pepper. Cook, stirring, until liquid has evaporated. Add kale, and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes, basil, and red pepper flakes.
Step 4
Transfer shells to a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon 1 1/4 cups vegetable mixture into each tart shell. Bake until crust is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
