This is from one of Deborah Madison's wonderful books.<br><br>
Mushroom Tart<br><br>
Tart Shell<br>
(the whole wheat flour in the crust gives it a great texture and flavor)<br>
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour<br>
½ cup plus 2 tbls all-purpose flour<br>
3/8 tsp sea salt<br>
5 tbls cold butter, cut into chunks<br>
3 tbls sour cream<br>
ice water<br><br>
Combine the flours and salt in a food processor.<br>
Add the butter and pulse to form coarse crumbs, then add the sour cream and pulse again. Dribble in just enough ice water, about 1 tbls, to make damp-looking crumbs, working as briefly as possible. Turn the dough out onto a board, gather into a ball, then shape into a disk. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.<br>
Roll the chilled dough into a 10-inch circle, drape it over the rolling pin, then lay it over the tart pan. Gently settle the dough into the pan. Using your fingertips, press the dough against the sides so that they are about ¼-inch thick. Freeze for at least 15 minutes or until ready to prebake. Formed tart shells, well wrapped in foil, can be frozen for a week before using.<br>
To prebake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the frozen tart shell on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven until lightly colored and set, about 20 minutes. Check a few times during the baking and prick any swollen spots with the sharp tip of a knife.<br><br><br>
Dried Porcini and Fresh Mushroom Tart<br><br>
1 ounce (1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms<br>
½ cup dry white wine or dry sherry<br>
1 9-inch tart shell (previous recipe)<br>
1 tbls olive oil or a mixture of butter and oil, plus a little oil to finish<br>
1 large white onion, finely diced<br>
½ pound white or brown mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick or less<br>
½ pound (3 small) Portobello or other large mushrooms, sliced ¼ -inch thick (with Portobello, remove the gills before cooking)<br>
sea salt and freshly ground pepper<br>
1 heaping tsp tomato paste<br>
1 parsley sprig and a few marjoram or thyme sprigs, minced<br>
1 egg<br>
2/3 cup half-and-half or cream<br><br>
Preheat oven to 425°F. Put the porcini in a saucepan with the wine and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes. Once the porcini are tender, pour the liquid through a fine strainer into a bowl, then chop the mushrooms into ½-inch or smaller pieces. Reserve the soaking water.<br>
Meanwhile, prepare and freeze the tart shell.<br>
Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until it starts to color, about 5 minutes.<br>
Add the fresh mushrooms. Raise the heat to high, season with 1 tsp and cook, tossing occasionally, until they start to color, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and a few tablespoons of the mushroom-soaking liquid, then add the porcini and continue cooking adding more mushroom liquid in small amounts, until the mushrooms are tender and glazed, about 15 minutes. Add half the herbs, then taste for salt and season with pepper.<br>
While the mushrooms are cooking, prebake the tart shell.<br>
Beat the egg with the half-and-half or cream. Slide the mushrooms into the prebaked tart shell and pour the custard over. Bake until the custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes. When done, sprinkle the remaining herbs over the top and dab a few drops of oil on the mushrooms to make them shine.
Mushroom Tart<br><br>
Tart Shell<br>
(the whole wheat flour in the crust gives it a great texture and flavor)<br>
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour<br>
½ cup plus 2 tbls all-purpose flour<br>
3/8 tsp sea salt<br>
5 tbls cold butter, cut into chunks<br>
3 tbls sour cream<br>
ice water<br><br>
Combine the flours and salt in a food processor.<br>
Add the butter and pulse to form coarse crumbs, then add the sour cream and pulse again. Dribble in just enough ice water, about 1 tbls, to make damp-looking crumbs, working as briefly as possible. Turn the dough out onto a board, gather into a ball, then shape into a disk. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.<br>
Roll the chilled dough into a 10-inch circle, drape it over the rolling pin, then lay it over the tart pan. Gently settle the dough into the pan. Using your fingertips, press the dough against the sides so that they are about ¼-inch thick. Freeze for at least 15 minutes or until ready to prebake. Formed tart shells, well wrapped in foil, can be frozen for a week before using.<br>
To prebake, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the frozen tart shell on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven until lightly colored and set, about 20 minutes. Check a few times during the baking and prick any swollen spots with the sharp tip of a knife.<br><br><br>
Dried Porcini and Fresh Mushroom Tart<br><br>
1 ounce (1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms<br>
½ cup dry white wine or dry sherry<br>
1 9-inch tart shell (previous recipe)<br>
1 tbls olive oil or a mixture of butter and oil, plus a little oil to finish<br>
1 large white onion, finely diced<br>
½ pound white or brown mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick or less<br>
½ pound (3 small) Portobello or other large mushrooms, sliced ¼ -inch thick (with Portobello, remove the gills before cooking)<br>
sea salt and freshly ground pepper<br>
1 heaping tsp tomato paste<br>
1 parsley sprig and a few marjoram or thyme sprigs, minced<br>
1 egg<br>
2/3 cup half-and-half or cream<br><br>
Preheat oven to 425°F. Put the porcini in a saucepan with the wine and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes. Once the porcini are tender, pour the liquid through a fine strainer into a bowl, then chop the mushrooms into ½-inch or smaller pieces. Reserve the soaking water.<br>
Meanwhile, prepare and freeze the tart shell.<br>
Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until it starts to color, about 5 minutes.<br>
Add the fresh mushrooms. Raise the heat to high, season with 1 tsp and cook, tossing occasionally, until they start to color, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and a few tablespoons of the mushroom-soaking liquid, then add the porcini and continue cooking adding more mushroom liquid in small amounts, until the mushrooms are tender and glazed, about 15 minutes. Add half the herbs, then taste for salt and season with pepper.<br>
While the mushrooms are cooking, prebake the tart shell.<br>
Beat the egg with the half-and-half or cream. Slide the mushrooms into the prebaked tart shell and pour the custard over. Bake until the custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes. When done, sprinkle the remaining herbs over the top and dab a few drops of oil on the mushrooms to make them shine.
