Gerard's MustartdTart

Kris' added veges mustard tart (we decided this tart is special enough to use to Christmas brunch!)



Beckbug's tart followed Dorie's recipe (page 154-156: Around my French Table, Dorie Greenspan)

Thank you Dorie for choosing the mustard tart for our baking experience! I would not have chosen to bake this tart without your “assignment” and I would have missed out on a real treasure. I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed baking the tart, smelling those wonderful steaming veges with the rosemary, and tasting a such a surprisingly delicious and savory treat. The crust was easy, flavorful, and flaky, yet it holds up well; the tart came out of the pan without flaw. And as my family was eating the mustard tart, we were all thinking of other tart ideas using this crust recipe. A fresh fruit tart would be gorgeous.

My daughter baked with me and we made two tarts; one exactly following Dorie’s recipe, and one with added veges. One was tried with heavy cream, and one with creme fraiche. The mustard flavor was dominant and there seemed to be no real noticeable difference in the flavors or texture of the creams used. Both were very good.

The extra veges we added were Chinese eggplant that we first sauteed in butter, and fresh tomato slices added to the top. We also want to try mushrooms, asparagus, peppers, onions, and maybe some fresh basil with the tomatoes, or fresh chives.

Extra vege tart just out of the oven

For the extra veges tart we used a 10" tart pan giving more space for the sliced tomatoes and eggplant. (But we decided we would make more a little more filling next time we use this recipe in a 10" pan ...maybe an additional egg with a corresponding amount of cream) Both tarts were wonderful. I took pieces of the extra veges tart to our neighbors (who supplied the eggplant from their garden) so they could see what we had done with their produce, and to give them an idea for using their bountiful crop.

When I made the crust dough, I was worried that it was too wet...just before adding all the egg, the dough seemed about right. After adding all the egg it seemed way too wet, but after refrigerating the mixture it rolled out nicely, fit down into the pan, did not shrink, and was so light and flaky...it was just perfect.

Beckbug's tart comes out of the baking pan perfectly

Living in Arizona might make some baked goods a little more soggy or moist. Butter and cheeses get soft quickly and it is hard to keep ice cold water and eggs really ice cold. Our air conditioned inside-the-house temperature stays at about 84 degrees, and with all the baking and cooking the kitchen probably warms up a couple of degrees. It all feels good to us...even though it is October, last week 2 days reached 108 degrees, so 84 is a 20+ degree drop from outside to inside, and that seems to be just about right. Anything colder brings out the goose bumps...I know, we are wimps when it comes to the cold, but that’s why we love to live in Arizona. But...I do wonder how our version of “room temperature” really affects our baking??? LW, on questions and answers for Dorie's blog, gave me a tip, saying, "I am sure it does make a difference. One thing I do when I need to chill butter is I cut it into pieces and flash freeze it. Stick it in the freezer for just 5-10 min. It makes all the difference for me since I am not always as quick in the kitchen as I should be. (and then encouragement:) I am glad it came out fine in the end! And...the response from LW was up within just a few hours...amazing, helpful, and so much fun! I had forgotten what a great cooking tool a freezer can be.

Part of the great experience of cooking with the group is the organization of the blog and those who service us from the blog. Great job! We appreciate Dorie's staff and friends and also all those we bake with...such a helpful, positive, and talented group!

My tasting plate...very yummy and quite rustically beautiful!

Anyway, the whole experience will be repeated many times. The tart was great. The mustards were wonderful. And baking with my daughter was such a pleasure I can’t wait to do it again.

The 2 mustards we used...we were pleasantly surprised at how delicious they are!

The mustards: I was so worried that these mustards would be like the nasty deli style mustard that so many restaurants use on sandwiches. I don’t know why it is so widely used; I don’t know anyone who likes it. But...the two mustards we used in the tarts were delightful...I would put them on my table for mustard uses regularly. (When she was young, my daughter’s favorite sandwich was a mustard sandwich...nothing but bread and mustard. She, too, was happy with the mustards. In fact, when she left my house the mustards went home with her.)