Spring Pizza with Peas, Asparagus, Garlic Cream, and Prosciutto

For most of my cooking life I have been of the opinion that you can put pretty much anything on a pizza….  That a pizza should be viewed as a vehicle for your whims and the bounty of the moment.  But I admit that even I was surprised to hear about topping a pizza with peas. (I’m not sure why…maybe I thought they would roll off…). 

I decided I wanted to make a pizza with peas, so I looked into it a little further and found that peas are a fairly common topping for a style of pizza called “Portugeusa” that is served in Brazil.  You will of course find versions of this style of pizza all over the internet/blogosphere, but in general, it seems that that this pizza also typically includes ham, eggs, olives, onions and tomato sauce. 

I may someday try a true Pizza Portuguesa…but when I first heard of peas on pizza, I mostly just wanted to make a pizza with peas—one in keeping with my favored “pizza as vehicle” habits.  Peas are in season at the moment and they frequently appear on my table…in salads, pastas, pilafs, etc. 

As I was poking around to discover more about peas on pizza, I ran across a pizza at The Modern Proper that rang all my bells.  It was topped with white sauce, peas, goat cheese, and prosciutto.  A pizza like this is exactly what I had in mind when I decided to make one with peas.

At The Modern Proper, they use a garlic infused béchamel for the sauce.  This put me in mind of one of my favorite pizza sauces: reduced garlic cream. If you have never made a pizza with this sauce, and you make pizza regularly, you need to put it on your “to try” list.  It makes a great base for all kinds of pizzas.  I have posted one here that also includes mushrooms and asparagus.  And I shared one in my newsletter last summer that includes zucchini, olives and potatoes (another interesting starchy pizza topping).

Because asparagus was also in season when I read about peas on pizza, I decided to add asparagus to the mix.  Peas can be put on the pizza raw (or thawed, if using frozen).  And if the asparagus is cut properly for pizza (thinly, on a long bias), it doesn’t have to be cooked ahead either.  I also decided to add some thin, bias cut scallions (or spring onions—also in season at the moment) to the mix to add a little mild zip. 

The resulting pizza was quick (since nothing needs to be cooked ahead but the garlic cream), loaded with flavor…and totally seasonal.  If you keep seasonal vegetables on hand…cream and goat cheese in your fridge… and prosciutto in your freezer…this pizza constitutes an easy “pantry dinner.” 

I liked this pizza so much that I taught it in a recent re-launch of my online cooking classes.  In April I taught a Zoom cooking class through the Lawrence Public Library.  The structure of the class was different from my previous Zoom classes (which I had modeled after my pre-pandemic, in-person cooking classes).  It was just one simple recipe, taught in a one hour format over the pre-dinner hour so that people could cook along and then afterwards enjoy a delicious meal. 

The class was quite popular…so popular I decided to revisit the idea of Zoom classes.  I realize some of the appeal of this class was the fact that the library offered it for free.  But it occurred to me that the same format could be offered through my own platform for a price that was significantly lower than my previous offerings.  I settled on  $10…$7 for newsletter subscribers. 

As I mentioned…the spring pizza with peas, asparagus, garlic cream and prosciutto was the first outing of the new format (after the library).  It was very well-received…and people sent me some great pictures of the pizzas they made!  I hope to offer more classes like this as my schedule allows.  If you would like to be on the mailing list to receive announcements for upcoming classes, you can sign up here.  And if you are interested in seeing the recording of the pizza class, I will keep the recording available until I teach a new class.  You can purchase the recording here.

Spring Pizza with Garlic Cream, Peas, Asparagus, & Prosciutto

Garlic Cream:
1 T. unsalted butter
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced (or, in early summer use 1 stalk/head of green garlic—white/ivory and pale green parts—finely sliced)
salt & pepper
1 T. white wine (see notes)
1/4 c. heavy cream

1 recipe/10 oz. pizza dough made through the first rise and rested (recipe below)

1 scallion, root and tattered greens trimmed away (use as much of the white, pale green and dark green as you like)
2 oz. (trimmed weight) asparagus, thoroughly rinsed
2 oz. fresh peas (or frozen…thaw before using)
1/3 c. (1 oz.) finely grated Parmesan
1/2 to 1 t. olive oil
4 thin slices/sheets (2 oz.) prosciutto
3 oz. goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

An hour before baking the pizza, place a baking stone (if you have one) on the center rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°.

Make the garlic cream.  Place a tablespoon of butter along with a tablespoon of water in a small sauce pan and set over moderately low heat. When the butter has melted, add the garlic along with a good pinch of salt.  Gently stew the garlic until it is softened and the water has evaporated/been absorbed and the garlic has softened (about 5 minutes).  Add the white wine and continue to simmer until the wine is reduced and the garlic is sizzling gently in the butter again.  

Add the cream and simmer until thickened and reduced by one third.  You should have 3 or 4 tablespoons of a thick sauce.  Taste and season with salt and pepper; set aside.  

While the garlic cream cooks, prepare the toppings:  slice the scallion very thinly on a long bias.  

Place in a small bowl and cover with ice water.  Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.  Drain, rinse under running water, and blot well.  Slice the asparagus very thinly (1/8 inch thick) on a long bias.  

Place the crisped scallions, asparagus and peas in a medium-sized bowl.  Drizzle in a small amount of olive oil and season lightly with salt & pepper. Toss to coat. Add the Parmesan and toss again.

On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch the dough out into a 12- to 13-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a rimless baking sheet or peel that has been dusted with semolina, fine cornmeal, or rice flour.

Spread the garlic cream over the crust, leaving a quarter to half inch border around the edges bare. 

Tear two or three of the sheets of prosciutto into rough 1 1/2 to 2 inch pieces and arrange/ruffle evenly over the garlic cream.  Scatter the vegetable mixture over the garlic cream, distributing evenly.  Tear and arrange the remaining prosciutto over the vegetables.

Crumble the goat cheese over all.   

If using a pizza pan or baking sheet, place the pizza in its pan on the pizza stone in the pre-heated oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is bubbling, about 8 to 10 minutes. To insure a crisp crust, after the crust has set (5 to 6 minutes), slide the pizza off of the pan to finish cooking directly on the pizza stone.

If you are using a pizza peel, slide the pizza directly onto the hot stone and bake until browned and bubbling (about 7 to 8 minutes).  In my oven, I usually rotate the pizza after about 5 minutes so it will bake evenly.

When the pizza is done, transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into wedges and serve.  (If not serving immediately—if making a second pizza, for example—transfer the uncut pizza to a wire rack so that the crust won't get soggy.)

(Garlic Cream adapted from Food & Wine)

Notes: 

• If you don’t have …or don’t want to use…wine, just continue to cook the garlic with water as needed until it is soft.  Before adding the cream, make sure the garlic is sizzling in the butter (i.e. all the liquid—whether wine or water—has evaporated off).
  

• You may of course use purchased dough instead of making your own. Just make sure you have 10 oz./285 grams.

 

Pizza Dough

1/2 cup (113g) warm water (100º-110º)
1 1/8 t. (1/2 package) active dry yeast
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups (145g to 170g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt

Combine the water, yeast, and 3/4 cup (85g) of the flour in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the oil, salt and another half cup (60g) of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough that holds its shape. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour on a smooth surface. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and sprinkle with a bit more flour. Knead the dough, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until the dough is smooth and springs back when pressed lightly with a finger—about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size—about 1 hour. Punch down the dough. At this point you may use the dough immediately or cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 12 to 24 hours. Pull the dough out of the refrigerator to let it warm up a bit, about an hour before baking the pizza.

When ready to make the pizza, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a ball. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes. The dough is now ready to be shaped, topped and baked.

(Crust adapted from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins)

Food Processor Method:  Place the water and yeast in a small bowl and let sit until the yeast has dissolved.  Place 160 grams (about 1 1/4 cups plus 2 T.) of the flour and salt in the food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to blend.  Add the oil and yeast/water mixture and pulse until the dough is homogenous.  Begin to run the mixture in long pulses until the dough is smooth and elastic—it shouldn't take more than a minute.  If the dough seems wet and sticky, add some of the remaining 2 T. of flour a bit at a time, pulsing after each addition.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and give it a few kneads by hand.  Let rise as directed above.

Printable Version

A half recipe makes a nice little 8- to 9-inch pizza

An Asparagus Salad with Peas & Mint for Early Summer

I’m almost tired of asparagus for the year…but not quite. I’m still purchasing a bunch occasionally…and will continue to do so as long as it continues to look vibrant and delicious. I’m still making my favorite asparagus pastas. But in June I mostly love to tuck it into salads. Lightly blanched—or even raw (shaved)—it adds interest and herbal notes to the green salads of late spring and early summer. It is great with roasted beets…jammy eggs…potatoes...grains… peas….

I have mentioned before that in the early days of the pandemic I began preparing a monthly “curbside dinner.” It was so successful that I continue to do it as my schedule allows. The meal is made up of three courses…and comes bagged and ready to “finish” (toss the salad…warm things that need warming…etc). I usually try to come up with at theme that knits the courses together (April in Paris…An Irish Feast…). But most of the time the theme is simply a celebration of the foods of the moment. Asparagus usually makes an appearance in the April and May dinners.

This year my schedule didn’t allow for a May dinner. Instead, I offered it on June 1 (to cover May and June—June is generally even busier than May…). I decided I could give asparagus a last gasp appearance since it was still abundant and of good quality. I put it in the first course salad…along with some fresh peas (in season in June…or available in those great little bags at Trader Joes’) and seasonal lettuces (arugula and a mix of butter lettuces, baby romaine and baby spinach). I also added a good pinch of whole mint leaves—which is abundant and tender in the garden now (and will be for another month or so).

If you have never added whole herbs to a salad, you should give it a try. The softer herbs—flat leaf parsley, basil, dill, tarragon, chives, etc.—are wonderful when added in to salads. If they are large, tear them into smaller pieces…but the smaller leaves can be added whole. Use them as you would lettuce…but with a lighter hand.

The dressing for this salad is a bit more complex than those that I typically make for home use, but for the curbside I wanted something that would wake up all of the mild and sweet flavors in this salad. And this one does just that. It is totally worth the small amount of extra time involved.

Other than the vinaigrette, the main thing that will be a game changer for this salad, is being careful to cook the asparagus and peas in well-salted water. If the vegetables aren’t well salted, the salad will be bland.

A couple of days after the dinner, I made the salad for myself with some of the leftover ingredients and served it for my dinner with a little bit of leftover roast chicken. It was fantastic. In general, salads are a great way of serving the last bits of leftover roasts. The meat can be reheated…or simply served cold (or room temperature), if heating will dry it out.

On another evening I made this salad for myself with the addition of a few steamed new potatoes (dressed with vinegar while they were still warm as for this great French potato salad with peas).  This too was delicious.

Asparagus Salad with Peas, Mint, Goat Cheese & Sunflower Seeds

2 medium scallions, trimmed and sliced finely on a long bias (to make about an ounce)
1/2 c. (a scant 3 oz.) shelled fresh peas (see note)
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed (to get about 1/2 lb. trimmed weight)
4 small handfuls stemmed arugula (about 1 1/2 oz)
A handful of mint leaves (1/4 oz.), torn if large
2 big handfuls mixed lettuces of your choice (see note)—about 2 oz.
1/4 to 1/3 c. roasted and salted sunflower seeds
3 oz. goat cheese
6 T. Sherry-Dijon Vinaigrette

Place the scallions in a bowl of ice water and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and blot dry with paper towels.

Fill a sauce pan with water, salt well, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for one minute. Lift out using a bowl sieve and spread on towels to cool. Slice the trimmed asparagus in 1/4-inch thick slices on a long bias.

Return the water the peas were cooked in to a boil and add the asparagus. Cook until crisp tender—taste one after 2 minutes. Lift out and spread on towels to cool.

Place the peas, asparagus, scallions, arugula, mint and lettuces in a large bowl. Season with salt & pepper. Drizzle a small amount of the vinaigrette over (1 to 2 T.) and toss until all the ingredients are lightly coated, adding more vinaigrette if necessary. Mound on a platter or four individual plates. Scatter the sunflower seeds over. Then crumble the goat cheese over all. Drizzle the salad(s) with more vinaigrette.

Sherry-Dijon Vinaigrette:
3 T. Sherry vinegar
4 t. honey (1 oz.)
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
3/4 t. Kosher salt
1 t. fennel spice, toasted & finely ground (see notes)
2/3 c. olive oil

Place all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and the salt has completely dissolved. In a thin stream, add the oil while whisking constantly to form an emulsion. Taste and correct the seasoning. Makes about 1 cup of vinaigrette. Store in a jar in the fridge (allow to come to room temperature…and shake vigorously to re-emulsify—before using).

Notes:

• You may use frozen peas if fresh are not available. There is no need to cook frozen peas. Just thaw and use.
• I like a young, soft mix of lettuces for this salad—baby lettuces of all kinds…but especially Bibb/Boston.
• To toast fennel spice, place in a dry sauté pan over moderately high heat. Shake the pan occasionally. When the fennel is fragrant…and beginning to take on a pale golden color in spots, transfer to a plate to cool. Grind by bashing in a mortar & pestle…or using a spice grinder.
• To make a more substantial salad…appropriate for an entrée, serve as a side for chicken, fish or lamb. You could also serve it as an entrée without meat…just add a few new potatoes (Steam or boil; halve, quarter or slice while warm and dress with a teaspoon of vinegar for every half pound of potatoes. Season with salt and cool before adding to the salad.)

Printable Version

Spring Salad of Arugula, Strawberries, Baked Goat Cheese & Candied Spiced Pistachios

Spring really is salad season.  I eat salads all year long.  But suddenly in the spring, when the local growers begin to bring heads of freshly harvested lettuce and bags of just cut baby greens and arugula, I begin to really relish salads.  Even the baby lettuces have substance and flavor.  They become far more than just a background for other foods; they are something I enjoy eating just for their own merit (and I often do—munching away on them as I’m cleaning them and putting them away).  So even though my last post was a salad…and I haven’t been posting as much recently because of the busyness of settling into my new home…I’m going to share another salad today.   This one features young arugula paired with the bountiful and flavorful strawberries that are filling the markets right now.

Arugula and strawberries are a fairly common salad combination.  The peppery bite of the arugula goes very well with the sweet and tangy strawberries.  And since they are abundant and at their flavor peak at right around the same time, making a salad of them is a no-brainer.  If you look around on line you will discover that many people add a salty and tangy cheese to the combination…like Feta, a blue or goat cheese…and usually a nut of some kind for added crunch.  I have not veered away from this combination at all.  Instead I have altered the manner in which I add the cheese and nuts.

For the cheese, I used goat cheese.  And instead of simply crumbling it over the salad, I form it into a round, coat it with breadcrumbs and bake it.  The cheese contributes a varied temperature element this way…and also textural variation if you serve it with toasts or crusty bread.  If you don’t want to take the time to form and bake rounds, you can of course just crumble the goat cheese over the salad.  But if you have never had a salad with baked goat cheese before, you really do need to give it a try. 

The nuts that usually appear in this salad are almonds or pecans.  Both are delicious, but I opted for pistachios.  I think their color is particularly.  And to echo the pepper and spice of the arugula…and emphasize the sweetness of the strawberries…I gave them a caramel and spice coating. They are so tasty this way that you’ll probably want to make extra just to have on hand for a snack.

When I worked at The American Restaurant many years ago, we used to put these pistachios (with just pepper for the spice—I’m also adding fennel and coriander) 

on a spinach and blue cheese salad.  It was on a banquet menu so every cook in the kitchen got to make them at one time or another.  I think every cook probably used a slightly different method when making them.  The process is admittedly a bit tricky.  I am giving two methods—one that uses the oven and another that is accomplished entirely on the stove top.  If you toast the nuts in the oven and add them to the hot caramel (my preferred method), you must work out the timing so the nuts are still hot when you combine them with the caramel.  If you don’t, you will have a hopelessly stuck mass of nuts and caramel.  If you choose to toast the nuts in a sauté pan and add the sugar after the nuts get hot (allowing it to caramelize around the nuts) you must be very careful not to scorch the nuts.  Either way, you will need a non-stick sauté pan, an oiled heat-proof spatula and an oiled baking sheet—and you will have to work quickly and be vigilant about tossing and stirring—even continuing to stir a bit after the nuts are out of the pan if you want to have perfectly separated nuts.  If you don’t mind having clumps/clusters, then you can just turn them out of the pan and leave them alone while they cool. 

My final addition to the salad is finely sliced spring onions.  I always keep masses of spring onions in my kitchen this time of year.  I use them as a base for pilafs, pastas and vegetables ragouts…and in salads.  When I cook with them I use some of the green.  For this salad I only use the white and pale green portion.  If you don’t have any spring onions, you may replace them with finely shaved shallot or red onion.  Just make sure that you soak the sliced or shaved onion (or shallot) in a bowl of ice water for five minutes or so.  This will soften the heat/bite of the onion and crisp them up at the same time. 

I hope that everyone is enjoying salads as much as I am this year.  But if not, you can still use the baked goat cheese and spiced pistachio recipes.  Both would make outstanding additions to an appetizer spread for your next summer party.   But I hope you do like salads...and I hope you will try this one.  I would love to promise that my next post will not be a salad post...but you never know.  Salad season isn't quite over yet.

Salad of Arugula, Strawberries, Baked Goat Cheese & Candied Spiced Pistachios

6 oz. soft, Montrachet-style goat cheese

Olive oil

A few sprigs of thyme or winter savory, if you like

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/3 c. fine, dry toasted breadcrumbs

3 to 4 oz. arugula, or arugula mixed with baby lettuces

1/4 to 1/3 c. very finely sliced (on a long bias) white and pale green of spring onion, soaked in ice water for 5 minutes and blotted dry

8 to 10 oz. strawberries—preferable on the smallish side (about a half ounce each), rinsed, dried, hulled & quartered

1 recipe Candied Spiced Pistachios

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cut the log of goat cheese into four slices.  It is likely the slices will be a bit misshapen, so use your hands to form the slices into 4 neat, 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick disks.  If time permits (or you are thinking ahead) place 1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a shallow pan.  Add a few herb sprigs and a few grindings of black pepper.  Place the goat cheese rounds in the seasoned oil and turn to coat.  Let marinate for an hour or so (or overnight in the fridge), turning once or twice.  If you don’t want to marinate the goat cheese, simple drizzle the rounds with just enough olive oil to coat.  Place the breadcrumbs on a small plate or in a small dish.  Coat the goat cheese with the breadcrumbs.  Place the goat cheese rounds on a lightly oiled baking sheet or dish.  When ready to serve the salad, bake the cheese in a preheated 400° oven for about 6 minutes, until the cheese is softened and lightly bubbling at the edges.

While the cheese is baking, place the lettuces, spring onions and strawberries in a large bowl.  Season the greens with salt & pepper.  Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the vinaigrette.  Use a sparing hand, you can always add more.  Toss until everything is lightly coated.  Add more vinaigrette if necessary.  Add the pistachios and toss to distribute.  Divide the salad among four plates.  When the cheese is ready, use a small spatula to transfer it to the plates.  Nestle the soft rounds alongside the piles of greens and strawberries.  Serve immediately with crusty bread or toasts.

Serves 4

If you don't have any goat cheese on hand, the salad makes a nice side for a Quesadilla, too

Candied Spiced Pistachios

1/2 c. pistachios

2 T. sugar

1/4 t. each black peppercorns, coriander seed, & fennel seed, coarsely crushed in a mortar & pestle

Kosher salt

Spread the pistachios on a small, lightly oiled baking sheet (or in a pie tin) and toast in a 350° oven until hot through—about 5 minutes.  The goal isn’t so much to fully toast the nuts as to get the process started—they will continue to toast in the caramelized sugar.  The goal is to get them hot.  If they are not hot when they are added to the caramel, the mixture will seize into a tight blob.  The goal is separated pistachios, coated with a light crust of spiced caramelized sugar.

Two or three minutes before the nuts come out of the oven, scatter the sugar in a small non-stick sauté pan (one that will just hold the pistachios in a single layer) and set over high heat.  Shake the pan occasionally to keep the sugar distributed.  It will begin to melt and turn to caramel almost simultaneously.  When the sugar has turned to liquid caramel, 

sprinkle the spices over the caramel and then scatter in the hot nuts.  Using a lightly oiled heat proof spatula to strategically stir and turn the nuts, helping them to become coated in a thin film of caramel.  

Reduce the heat if the caramel starts to smoke.  The nuts will want to stick together, but just continue to stir, turn, and separate them with the spatula until the nuts are mostly evenly coated.  Transfer back to the oiled sheet and use the oiled spatula to spread them out, separating them as much as possible.  

Some will persist in sticking, but they should break up fairly easily once the caramel has cooled.  Let cool and then finish breaking them up.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Alternatively:  Combine the sugar and the spices and set aside.  Place the pistachios in a non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Toast the nuts stirring frequently, until they are fragrant.   Begin to sprinkle the sugar mixture over the nuts as you simultaneously shake the pan back and forth.  The sugar will immediately begin to caramelize and coat the nuts.  Continue to sprinkle the sugar and shake the pan until the nuts are nicely glazed with the spiced caramel.  Immediately spread the nuts on a greased cookie sheet to cool.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 T. White Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 t. (slightly mounded) Dijon mustard

1/8 t. Kosher salt

1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Place the vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl.  Whisk until smooth.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  The vinaigrette should be tangy and slightly sweet.  Store any leftovers in the fridge.  Re-whisk before using.

Printable Version

A Savory Winter Squash Tart with Mushrooms & Apples

Over the years I have posted a lot of recipes for savory tarts.  A tender, buttery crust makes an admirable blank canvas for the products of each passing season.   Whether a custard-based, quiche-style tart...or a free form galette...or a simple flat crust topped with cooked vegetables...I love them.   

A selection of local squash...the mottled yellow and green in the center are "Carnival" squash
...my preferred squash for this tart.

This week I will be teaching a class on winter squash and sweet potatoes.  One of my favorite ways to use squash happens to be in a tart...and I will be including a tart in this class.  Most of the time when I put squash in a tart, I leave it in slices or chunks that are roasted (or sautéed) before they are put into the crust.  But this of course isn't the only way to present it and this time I will be turning the squash into a purée—and smearing it onto a flat rectangle of dough where it will act as an edible (and delicious) glue to hold all of the other toppings in place. 

I have posted a couple of other examples of this style of tart...using ricotta instead of squash puree as the "glue."  Both the ricotta and the squash (reinforced with an egg yolk) do a great job of holding the other components in place.  I particularly like using the squash though.  When making such a thin tart, you need to get a lot of bang for your flavor buck in the individual components...and the squash adds a lot of flavor.  It is also the perfect counterpoint to the savory mushrooms and sweet tart apples that make up the rest of the topping.   

If the combination of mushrooms and apples strikes you as odd, I encourage you to try it in this tart.  I think I first encountered this combination in a traditional chicken dish from Normandy.  The dish—Poulet Vallée d'Auge—is a classic French sauté of chicken cooked in stock, cider and cream...with mushrooms and apples.  Every time I eat it I am amazed by the subtlety and balance of this pairing.  Both the apples and the mushrooms are enhanced by it.  The dish would not be the same if it were garnished with just the apples...or just the mushrooms.  It is the same with the tart.

With a small green salad this tart makes a wonderful light dinner...or satisfying lunch.  But since we are on the verge of our annual holiday party season, I have also included instructions at the bottom of the recipe for rolling the crust and building the tart in such a way that you can cut small squares that make a perfect finger food.  Since all of the components (the crust, squash puree, sautéed apples, sautéed mushrooms and candied pepitas) can be made ahead, it would be the perfect thing with which to greet your Thanksgiving guests.  Simply make the components at your leisure in the day or two preceding the feast.  Then, on Thanksgiving morning, build the tarts and place them on a sheet pan in the fridge, baking them as oven space allows, and as close to the arrival of your guests as you can.

Let the holiday cooking and feasting begin. 

Savory Winter Squash Tart with Mushrooms & Apples

1 recipe pâte brisée (below)

1 egg, separated (yolk and white both reserved)

1 T. butter

1 medium shallot, about 1 oz., minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 t. minced fresh rosemary

3/4 c. (185 g.) Roasted Winter Squash purée (see below—I prefer Carnival Squash in these tartlets)

1/3 c. (1 oz.) finely grated Parmesan

1 large apple (7 to 8 oz.)—something that is sweet-tart and that holds its shape when cooked...like a Braeburn...or a Pink Lady

1 T. butter (more as needed)

6 oz. crimini (or other favorite) mushrooms, sliced 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick

1 T. olive oil (more as needed)

1 T. minced flat leaf parsley

4 oz. goat cheese

3 to 4 T. Candied Pepitas (see below)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out into a thin (1/8- to 3/16-inch thick) rectangle that measures at least 10- by 14-inches.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for at least 30 minutes.  Before baking trim the pastry sheet to a 9- by 13-inch rectangle.  

Prick all over with a fork.  Beat the egg white until foamy and loose.  Brush the whole surface of the pastry with the beaten egg white and return to the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a small sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the shallots, garlic and rosemary and cook until very tender and beginning to caramelize.  Let cool.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the squash purée, Parmesan, cooled shallot mixture and yolk.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Set aside.

Peel, quarter and core the apple.  Cut each quarter into 5 or 6 lengthwise slices (about 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick).  Sauté the apples in the butter until they are golden and just tender.  (Choose a sauté pan—preferably non-stick—that is just large enough to hold the apple slices in a snug single layer.  Start over medium-high heat, letting the butter melt and waiting to add the apples until the foam subsides.  Toss/turn the apples occasionally and reduce the heat if the apples are browning too much/too quickly.)  Set aside.

If the apples were sautéed in a non-stick pan, wipe out the pan and set it back over high heat.  If not, set a non-stick sauté pan (one that is just large enough to hold the mushrooms in a snug single layer) over high heat.  When the pan is hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the mushrooms.  Sauté until the mushrooms start to brown—about 2 minutes.  Add a good pinch of salt and continue to sauté, reducing the heat if the mushrooms threaten to burn...but still maintaining an active sizzle, until the mushrooms are tender and browned...about 5 minutes total.  Remove from the heat and add the parsley.  Transfer the mushrooms to the plate with the apples.  Fold the apples and mushrooms together.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.

When ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 375° and adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven.  While the oven heats, build the tart.  Spread the squash mixture over the chilled crust, leaving a half inch border of crust visible all the way around.  

Scatter the apples and mushrooms evenly over the squash.  

Crumble the goat cheese over all.  (The tart may be made a few hours ahead to this point.  Cover and chill.)

Bake the tart on the lowest rack until the cheese is tipped with gold and the edges and bottom crust are golden brown—about 25 to 30 minutes.  Slide the cooked tart onto a wire rack and scatter over some of the candied pepitas, pressing lightly if necessary to help the seeds adhere to the cheese.  Cut and serve warm.  Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer or light entrée with a salad of baby lettuces or arugula. 

Variation:  If you would like to make this tart into small passed appetizer portions, instead of cutting the sheet of dough into one large rectangle, cut it into three 5- by 9-inch rectangles.  Top the smaller rectangles exactly as you would the large, using a third of each of the components for each smaller rectangle.  Bake as for the large.  To serve, cut each rectangle in half lengthwise and then crosswise four or five times to make 8 to 10 small rectangles out of each tart.  Because each small rectangle will have been cut from the edge of the tart, each piece will be more stable and it will be easy to pick up with the fingers (you will have a total of 24 to 30 rectangles from the whole recipe).

Candied Pepitas:  Place 1/2 t. fennel seed and 1/8 t. coriander seed in a medium sauté pan and toast over medium heat.  When fragrant, transfer to a plate to cool.  Grind in a mortar and pestle.   In a small bowl, combine 1 T. sugar, the toasted fennel & coriander, 1/8 t. cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne and a generous pinch of salt.  Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in a medium sauté pan set over medium heat.  Add 1/2 c. raw pumpkin seeds and toss to coat in the butter.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the nuts and toss to coat.  Continue to cook, stirring and tossing until the pumpkin seeds are popping and lightly colored.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Wait 30 seconds.  Drizzle a teaspoon of honey over and toss to coat.  Spread the nuts on a plate to cool. 

(Candied Pepitas adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques, by Suzanne Goin)

To Roast a Winter Squash for a Purée: Preheat oven to 375° to 400°.  Halve the winter squash.  Scoop out the seeds and discard.  Place the squash on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil or melted butter.  Season with salt and pepper.   Place the squash in the oven and roast until fork tender and caramelized in spots—about an hour.  When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh away from the skin with a spoon.  Purée the flesh in the food processor or pass through a food mill fitted with the fine disc.  A 2 pound squash will produce a scant 2 cups of purée, or about a pound.  Depending on the desired use of the purée, the butter or oil with which the squash is brushed prior to roasting may be augmented with any number of things—honey, molasses, maple syrup or balsamic vinegar—alone or in combination.  If you prefer that the squash not caramelize during the roasting process, either cover with foil or oil the pan, add a splash of water and roast the squash with the cut surfaces down. 

Pâte Brisée (Short Crust Pastry):

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (6 oz.)
3/8 t. salt
9 T. cold unsalted butter, sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 1/2 oz.)
3 to 4 1/2 T. ice water

Combine the flour and the salt in a medium-sized bowl.  Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture has the look of cornmeal and peas. Drizzle 3 T. ice water over the flour/butter mixture.  Using your hands, fluff the mixture until it begins to clump, adding more water if necessary.  Turn the dough out onto a counter and form into a mound.  Using the heel of your hand, gradually push all of the dough away from you in short forward strokes, flattening out the lumps.  Continue until all of the dough is flat.  Using a bench scraper, scrape the dough off the counter, forming it into a single clump as you do.  Form the finished dough into a thick rectangle.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.

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