Incredible how fast the days have swept by. Like the soft rains of April, sweet, refreshing and short, it has left a scent heavy with the sugary aftertaste of sweet friendship and a pungent fragrance of labored ventures. Before I could grasp it properly, this whisper of April has already vanished.
It’s been a roller-coaster of a month with so much happening and so much to do that I’ve often felt like a headless chicken. Last week I took a wonderful (and well deserved) break. We did not travel, but entertained some cherished friends who came from Norway, ladened with food and drink - just like food bloggers are known to do. I am not sure how they managed to fit a dried leg of a lamb in their suitcase but you can imagine our surprise when they pulled that out of their bags. They also managed some prized Norwegian salmon, dried fish, cider from the Hardanger region and a few very thick wedges of cheese including my favorite Norwegian cheese, the sensational Brunost.
We spent a few warm and sunny days with Kjersti, her husband and 2 kids here in Weimar. Time slowed down and we just gave in to the lull of the day.
In contrast, however there are a lot of intense jobs and tasks needing my attention at the moment. The first Plate to Page is just a few weeks away and there has been a wild buzz behind the scenes as we get many issues finalized. There has been so much positive response and we have the most amazing sponsors for this workshop. The goodie bags for the participants are going to be full and heavy with high quality and exceptional items.
Things are also moving forward with my photography. I am in the process of setting Meeta K. Wolff Photography up as a business. The German red tape is futile and it’s like fighting the fire-breathing dragon in the labyrinth to get to the golden fleece! I am getting there though and elated that the feedback on my portfolio and photography has been so positive from incredible sources I would never have dreamt to work with. Imagine getting emails from big ad agencies and publications you have always looked up to with starry eyes!
With all this happening I’ve missed visiting my favorite blogs, failed my dear friend Nanette by not making it to World Figolli Day and I was going to give up and tell my sister-from-another-mother Jeanne, there would be no Topless Tarts from here for this month’s Monthly Mingle. Then I dug deep into my hard-drive (deep into 2009) and found these divine tarts. To be specific, these are Flammkuchen or Tarte Flambée. Light, crispy and thin crusted dough, spread generously with crème fraiche and scattered with a variety of toppings.
Here I make two varieties both equally delicious - so do not ask me which I prefer. One is spread lavishly with juicy, ripe tomatoes and sweet summer squash, topped with a scattering of feta cheese. Fantastic and aromatic fennel with more zucchini is used for the other, with chunks of soft goat cheese. Both are irresistible!
Recipe: Zucchini, Fennel and Goat Cheese or Tomato, Zucchini and Feta Cheese Tarte Flambée
Printable version of recipe here
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients
- 21g fresh yeast (approx. 1/2 cube)
- 600g all-purpose flour, you can also use whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 250g sour cream
- 150g crème fraiche
- Salt and pepper
- 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
- 3 yellow and green zucchini, sliced
- 2 fennel bulbs, sliced
- 200g feta cheese
- 200g goat cheese
- 2 bay leaves
Method
- In a small bowl break up the yeast into smaller pieces using your hands. Sprinkle with sugar and mix until the yeast becomes turns liquid-y.
- In a larger mixing bowl, add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oil, 300ml luke-warm water and the yeast-sugar mixture.
- Using the kneading hook of you electric hand-held beater, knead the dough until it just starts to come together. Then with your hands knead into a smooth dough ball. Place the dough back into the bowl and cover with a warm damp cloth. Put in a warm dry place to rise for approx. 45 minutes.
- Whisk the sour cream and crème fraiche together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Divide the dough into four portions.
- Roll one portion on a floured surface in a 2-3mm thin oval (approx. 25 x 35cm).
- Place on the baking tray and allow to rest for another 20 minutes. Cover the remaining dough balls.
- Spread 1/4 of the sour cream and crème fraiche mixture on each rolled out oval, on two of the ovals spread with slices of tomatoes, zucchini and sprinkle with feta cheese. On the other two arrange zucchini and fennel slices, then break of chunks of goat cheese and scatter over the vegetables.
- Bake in the oven on the lowest rack for 8-10 minutes. Take out, cut into pieces and serve immediately.
Verdict
These tarts are divine and the light way to enjoy a fun evening with friends. Serve the tarts with a large green salad and a chilled, sparkling, fruity wine to round the meal up perfectly. The flavors are light and summery, and so much easier to put together than pizza. There is no pre-planning and no cold overnight rising is required to put the tarte flambée together, which makes this brilliant for hot summer days or spontaneous visits from friends.
Taking a few of these over to Jeanne for the Topless Tarts mingle. Hope to see you there too! You still have till 30th April to join us.
Hope you have a splendid weekend! See you all next week!
More Topless Tarts from WFLH:
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| Roasted Pumpkin Aubergine Zucchini Tapenade Tarts with Buffalo Mozzarella | Tarte Flambée with Tomatoes and Creamy Spinach |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2011 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
