Zucchini Tart

So, my husband has started calculating the nutritional information for the foods that I cook most frequently.  Where is the fun in that?  Yesterday he looks up from his computer and informs me that I don't cook low calorie food.  I think I had a stick of butter in my hand when he was talking.  My response to him was something along the lines of "Portion control" "Calories - whatever" and "Go play outside."  I prepare lots of low calorie food.  It's called salad.  Kale, arugula, half a dozen different lettuces, sprouts, cabbages, root vegetables.  "What's for dinner?"  "Salad!" (Emphasis mine, not the family's.)   I love a giant bowl of raw veggie goodness dressed with, as claims my true love, a lemon passed over the top.  Ha!  Not squeezed, just, you know, in the vicinity of the salad.  Um, sorta true.

Life is about finding a balance.  A big bowl of salad and a slice of zucchini tart are the perfect pairing for me.


The Dough

A single recipe of dough yields more than enough for the 9.5 inch glass pie dish that I bake this tart in.  I always double this dough recipe, divide it into thirds and I've got dough for 3 tarts.  (Wrapped, the uncooked dough keeps well in the fridge for a few day.)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 salt
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons of ice water

In food processor fitted with steal blade, mix flours and salt.  Add butter gradually, pulsing food processor until you have pea sized pieces.  Add sour cream and and lemon juice pulse to incorporate.  Gradually add ice water until dough just starts to hold together.  Remove from food processor and shape into ball and form into disc (or 3 balls/3 discs of equal size if you are doubling the recipe). Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour.



The Filling

I like to use small zucchini because their seeds are nearly non-existant and that keeps the tart from getting soggy.  Larger zucchini can be sliced and then blotted dry with paper towels or the seeds can be scraped out.

2 small zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds (I use a mandoline slicer for uniform slices)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 cup ricotta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 egg
1/8 teaspoon course sea salt
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley


   
Preparing the Tart

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Smash garlic and mix with olive oil in a small bowl.  In separate bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt, and parsley. On a lightly floured surface, roll disc of dough into a 10-inch circle.  Transfer dough to pie dish. It should cover bottom and about 1 inch up the sides.  Brush half the garlic/olive oil mixture over the dough.  Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of the dough.  Starting at the outer edge of the cheese layer, layer the zucchini in tight spiral finishing in the center.  Brush the remaining olive oil mixture over the top of the tart.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until crust turns golden.  Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting. 

  

This dish can be served hot, room temperature or anywhere in between.  My favorite way to eat it is with lemon freshly zested over the top.  It's also delicious with freshly ground pepper and a little dollop of dijon mustard on the side.