Author Notes
This tart features basil but isn't overpowered by it. It's quite delicate in texture and very rich in flavor. I really love the combination of corn, goat cheese, and basil. The basil/lemon oil adds a bit of extra flavor at the end but it is not necessary. I used a 9" tart pan. To save time, you could make this with store-bought tart dough or puff pastry. (For a variation, add chopped preserved lemon to the goat cheese mixture.) - dashandbella —Phyllis Grant
Test Kitchen Notes
From the picture, this tart looked to have the texture of the quiche; however, when I looked at the recipe and saw only 1 egg yolk and 4 tablespoons of cream, I knew that quiche, this was not. Mixing the raw ingredients together, they seemed very dense, and I was worried -- but I needn't have been. The goat cheese in the tart fluffs up in the oven, a hot pillow with folds of fresh corn, basil, and plenty of punchy lemon. The basil-lemon oil on top is a nice touch, but not altogether necessary. This tart is great on its own. I could see mixing some of the goat cheese mixture into eggs, or even folding some into souffle; it's a versatile combination that's perfect for the season. —Rivka
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Ingredients
- Tart Dough
-
1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
-
8 tablespoons
butter (1 sick), cold and cut into approx. 1 inch square pieces
-
4-6 tablespoons
ice water
- For the Tart
-
1
egg yolk
-
4 tablespoons
heavy cream
-
1 cup
basil leaves, roughly chopped
-
10 ounces
creamy fresh goat cheese
-
1 tablespoon
lemon juice
-
1/2 teaspoon
lemon zest
-
1/2 teaspoon
salt
-
pepper to taste
-
3
ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
-
4 tablespoons
parmesan, finely grated
-
3 tablespoons
pine nuts (optional)
-
-
for the basil/lemon oil:
-
1/2 cup
basil leaves
-
1/2 cup
mild olive oil
-
1 teaspoon
lemon juice
Directions
-
Using a food processor, mix together flour and salt.
-
Add half of the butter cubes. Pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add 2nd half of butter and pulse only a few times until chunks are the size of peas.
-
Pour in 4 tablespoons of the ice water. Pulse 2-3 times. You want the dough to be slightly moist with some dry flour still visible. You can test it by pressing it together between your fingers. It should just come together. Press into a disc in saran wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
-
Preheat oven to 375° F.
-
Roll the dough out and place in desired tart pan. Blind bake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Set aside.
-
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine egg yolk, cream, basil, goat cheese, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Beat until smooth.
-
By hand, fold in the corn kernels so as not to crush them.
-
Spread corn and goat cheese mixture evenly into the partially baked tart shell.
-
Sprinkle parmesan evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the pine nuts about 10 minutes into the cooking time so that they don't get too brown.
-
Bake for 30-40 minutes until puffed and golden.
-
While the tart cooks, bring the oil to just under a boil. Turn off heat. Carefully stir in basil leaves and lemon juice. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Blend in a blender or food processor. Strain. Set aside.
-
Serve the tart room temperature or slightly warm. Drizzle a bit of basil/lemon oil over the tart before serving.
Phyllis Grant is an IACP finalist for Personal Essays/Memoir Writing and a three-time
Saveur Food Blog Awards finalist for her blog,
Dash and Bella. Her essays and recipes have been published in a dozen anthologies and cookbooks including
Best Food Writing 2015 and
2016. Her work has been featured both in print and online for various outlets, including
Oprah, The New York Times, Food52, Saveur, The Huffington Post, Time Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Table and
Salon. Her memoir with recipes,
Everything Is Out of Control, is coming out April 2020 from Farrar Straus & Giroux. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband and two children.
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