Sweet or savory? To me, the word “tart” means that it’s have to be delicious, juicy, full of flavor and definitely comforting too. But what’s the main difference between the two. Yes, there’s the obvious: taste. But there are two important reasons as well. Preparation is often easier and quicker.
Seasonal, fresh vegetables, bites of tuna Mediterana, creamy ricotta and greek yogurt topping. Oh and we mustn’t forget that delicious, flakey, buttery tart crust. Oh yes, this one is divine! Enjoy and thanks to Delamaris for sponsoring this delicious post.
We never ever made savory tarts at home and to be honest my first savory tart/quiche experience wasn’t great, actually, it has terrible ( I’ve ordered a pretty bad salmon and broccoli quiche in France - can’t wait to get back and try the real treat). So no, I wasn’t sold on the whole delicious quiche thing but Jernej insisted that savory tarts can really be delicious, full of flavor and juicy so we went for it and created our own fishy version: Seasonal Vegetables and Tuna Mediterana Tart with Creamy Ricotta and Yogurt Topping.
TART CRUST.
We usually go for three different options.
1. Puff pastry. If we decide to use puff pastry we know that our filling will be dry and will not contain many creamy ingredients, such as sour cream, ricotta or mascarpone. If we would use those delicious ingredients the dough would become soggy and the flakiness would disappear. For example, these onion and cheese puff tarts are a great recipe for puff pastry dough.
2. Filo pastry. We use filo pastry when we want that extra crunchy texture or when we are making vegetable wraps or baklava, that needs to be airy and flaky. If you would make this Seasonal Vegetables and Tuna Mediterana Tart recipe with filo pastry, the crust would break and it would’t be a joy to cut on slices.
3. Flaky, savory tart dough. This is the type of dough we used in this recipe and it is absolutely amazing. It’s easy to cut and the crust is buttery and flaky. When you are using creamy toppings such as this one used in the recipe or béchamel for example, this tart crust will hold its shape and it won’t get soggy. You can make it rectangular or round.
FILLING.
The star of this fishy tart is Delamaris tuna Mediterana, so we decided to create a little list of seasonal veggies that you can switch depending on the season. We baked this tart in autumn, so the veggies are autumnal, but there are so many delicious ingredients each season and they will definitely work for this tart.
SPRING
In spring the veggies are fresh and delicious. For this tart the perfect spring choice would be: spring onions, baby spinach, nettle and you can swich the garlic for ramsons.
SUMMER
In summer there are so many delicious veggies to choose from. We would use: zucchini, swiss chard, bell peppers, chili, kohlrabi, broccoli.
AUTUMN
We made this tart in autumn so the best combo remains: zucchini, mushrooms, celery stalk and leek.
WINTER
Even though there aren't many fresh vegetables in winter you can still use: butternut squash, kale and/or brussels sprouts.
You can also switch ricotta for mascarpone and you can use goat or sheep milk instead of greek yogurt.
TOPPING.
Toppings. Another great layer on this tart. Toppings can be rich and caloric, or they can be light, creamy, silky and full of butter. The most popular toppings are béchamel, a simple egg topping (whish and egg and sour cream), or you can just top the tart with slices of mozzarella cheese. We choose the middle road and created a silky topping with greek yogurt, ricotta and whipping cream. We also added a bit of grated nutmeg and fresh thyme. It’s rich in flavor, silky and creamy.
TIPS AND TRICKS.
1.For a flaky dough and delicious filling.It’s best to bake the tart crust one day ahead or at least a few hours before you add the filling. This way the tart crust will remain flakey and the topping won’t be over baked and it will remain juicy and delicious.
2. For better baking. It’s better to bake tart crusts in a convection oven because they hold the shape and they are baked more evenly. Always bake the filling switching the convection off.
3. For a delicious egg topping. When you remove your tart from the oven make sure the egg topping is almost set in the center. While the tart will be cooling on a wire rack, the topping will become just perfect and delicious.
4. Storing. Store the tart in a fridge for up to 2 days or freeze any unbaked tart dough for up to a month
1 large leek 1 zucchini 1/2 celery stalk 2 button mushroom or 1 porcini mushroom 2 onions 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves of garlic 50 g greek yogurt 1 egg salt, pepper, nutmeg 1 sprig thyme 50 g ricotta (or mascarpone) 25 g whipping cream Prepare and bake your tart dough. If you are going to bake our Savoury tart dough, you can click on the ingredients list and follow the instructions. The tart crust will be even better if you bake it one day ahead. It's also important to completely cool the tart crust before adding the filling. You can use a rectangular or round tart tin. Preheat your oven to 165 °C / 330 °F. Clean the leek, celery stalk and mushroom. Peel the onions and garlic and dice all the veggies. Place a skillet over medium low heat, add the olive oil, vegetables and mushroom. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are nice and tender. Stir occasionally. Remove the veggies from the heat, leave them to cool completely, then stir in two cans of Delamaris Tuna Mediterana. Pour into a baked (and cooled) baked tart crust. Mix all the ingredients (greek yogurt, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, pinch of ground nutmeg, thyme leaves, ricotta and whipping cream) together to get a lovely, runny mixture. Pour over the vegetable and tuna filling. Place your Seasonal Vegetables and Tuna Mediterana Tart into a preheated oven and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes at 165 °C / 330 °F. When the Tart is baked, remove from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut a few slices and serve. This Seasonal Vegetables and Tuna Mediterana Tart is great with fresh seasonal salad or served as an entree (serves 6 people). Enjoy. Store the tart in a fridge for up to 2 days or freeze any unbaked tart dough for up to a month.
Seasonal Vegetables and Tuna Mediterana Tart
Ricotta and Yogurt Topping
TOOLS AND EQUIPEMENT