Showcase summer produce on a crisp, flaky crust
One of the benefits to open-faced tarts and the like is that they don’t obscure the toppings with a top crust, so you can actually see the ripe red tomatoes, verdant zucchini and sunny summer squash. It’s hard to beat a tomato tart; even subpar grocery store tomatoes are made delicious with a combination of salting and roasting, which draws out excess moisture and concentrates their flavors.
Removing some of the moisture also keeps the crust crisp and flaky. It’s a move we use when making our Tomato Tart with Olives and Grueyere and our Tomato-Summer Squash Tart with Za’atar. Salt the tomatoes (and squash, if using) while the oven heats, pat up the moisture with paper towels or let it drain away, then scatter the produce over weeknight-easy thawed puff pastry and get it in the oven.
Another way to prevent a soggy crust is to bake the tart face down, like we do for our Upside-Down Tomato Tart with Parmesan Pastry. Inspired by the classic French tarte tatin, we shingle the tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast them until they’re soft and deeply concentrated, then drape a tender Parmesan-herb crust over them. (We make the crust in the food processor for ease). Avoid plump, extra-juicy tomatoes; plum tomatoes are best here.
Speaking of upside-down cooking, these little Upside-Down Cambozola Tarts with Hot Honey may not have any tomatoes, but they’re the perfect happy hour bite. All you need is frozen puff pastry, sliced onion, creamy Cambozola and a drizzle of honey infused with red pepper flakes. Takes all of half an hour and makes the most elegant snack—they have been the hit of every party at which I’ve served them.
They’re not sandwiches—they’re tartines
A ham sandwich, but make it French (and don’t call it a sandwich). These Ham, Gruyère and Asparagus Tartines are the perfect vehicle for end-of-season asparagus. Choose super-slender spears or slice them in half—they’ll drape over the salty ham and melty cheese in the most appealing way.
The beauty of tartines, of course, is that you can top them with anything, like Cheddar, Roasted Onion and Apple, Mushrooms, Grapes and Blue Cheese, or even Harissa-Spiced Tuna. That last one is more Mediterranean than French. We spice things up with harissa, a North African chili sauce, then add olives for brininess, orange zest for some sunniness, and coriander for a floral note. It’s technically tuna salad, though completely unlike any tuna salad you’ve ever tried.
Eat toast for dinner
Americans think of toast as a breakfast affair—or something that is uniquely British, like the cheese sauce-drenched Welsh Rarebit—but rebrand it as “bruschette” and dinner is served. Though usually eaten as an appetizer, I think they make a nice light supper, especially on oppressively hot evenings.
I’m currently on a goat cheese kick, so I’m making these Garlic Toasts with Goat Cheese and Herb Salad on repeat. Instead of raw or sautéed garlic, this garlic bread is made with confit—cloves that have been slow roasted in obscene amounts of olive oil until they are mellow, jammy and spreadable. Tangy goat cheese, lemon zest, shallots, and a simple salad of mint and parsley balance the richness.
If I’m craving a bruschetta that’s more classically Italian, I’ll make Roasted Tomato Bruschetta with Taleggio and Herbs; for something more substantial, I’ll do White Beans with Lemon, Parsley and Caper Relish. And if figs are in season (and they are), I’ll make Honey-Roasted Fig and Prosciutto Bruschetta, which combines two of my favorite things (figs and cured pork). This one is also great when made with pears, if figs aren’t available in your region.
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