Go for an easy yet delicious smoked salmon and asparagus tart or make a vegan tart with new potatoes and onion. Cherry tartlets flavored with almond butter and mascarpone will tame any guest’s sweet tooth. Save this recipe trio to try out this summer!
TART IS AN ABSOLUTELY UNBEATABLE summer treat and can be quickly prepared even in a more modestly equipped kitchen. The recipes are also easily modifiable, since you can freely choose your favorite sweet or salty fillings to complement the underlying crust. Best of all, new potatoes, the first berries that open the harvest season and the lovely green asparagus are all currently readily available at the vegetable counter.
Many people think that making a tart starts with making the pastry for the crust. Mixing, chopping, refrigerating, rolling out, refrigerating again, baking and chilling. Luckily, making a tart is not the same as building a house: namely, you are allowed to cheat a little when making the foundation. The name of this cheat code is frozen puff pastry. Even though you would take a slight shortcut through the frozen goods section, never skimp on the fillings. These three pies are filled with the best delicacies the harvest season has to offer.
Luckily, making a tart is not the same as building a house: namely, you are allowed to cheat a little when making the foundation.
Savory cold-smoked salmon and asparagus are a match made in heaven. The asparagus season comes to an end in June, but delicious domestic asparagus are still available. If you can’t find asparagus, try long stemmed (tenderstem) broccolis in their place. Decorate the pie with trendy wild herbs collected directly from nature. Remember to take your time deciding where to collect the herbs from and identifying them!
If you want to keep your pie vegan, switch the pastry for a puff pastry made with margarine instead of butter and cover it with teeny-tiny new potatoes and the sprightly, sweet spring onions that are a great flavor pair. You can also use cooked leftover potatoes for this pie.
For dessert, cut some of the puff pastry into rough pieces and cover them with layers of almond butter, whipped mascarpone and sweet and tangy cherries that are at currently in season. If you really want your dessert tartlets to stand out, use a piping bag to create a beautiful mascarpone pattern. The tartlets will, however, still taste as sweet even though you would simply spread the frosting on them with a spatula.
Make the tartlets in advance and combine them with a bottle of bubbly for a thoughtful present when visiting a friend’s summer cottage. You are guaranteed to be invited again!
3 summer tart recipes:
Salmon and asparagus tart
Ingredients for four:
1 pkg (500 g) of frozen puff pastry
150 g of cold smoked salmon
10 asparagus spears or tenderstem broccoli
½ bunch of dill
1 tsp salt and black pepper
100 g crème fraîche
1 egg
wild herbs, lemon zest or small sprouts for serving
Do as follows:
Allow the frozen pastry to soften at room temperature for 1 hour before making the tart. Once it is soft enough, spread it on a baking sheet and roll the dough out thinner. Use a fork to make some holes in the middle to prevent the pastry under the fillings from rising too much and place the pastry and baking sheet on an oven pan.
Set the oven at 220°C (approximately 430°F). Rinse the asparagus spears and snap the hard and woody root ends off. Peel if necessary. Cut the asparagus (or broccoli) into rough pieces. Finely chop the dill. Add dill, salt, black pepper and the egg to the crème fraîche and mix.
Spread the créme fraîche mixture onto the dough, leaving a few centimeters uncovered at the edges, just like you would with a pizza. Cut the salmon into strips and spread them evenly onto the pastry dough, followed by the asparagus or broccoli pieces. Roll the edges a bit so the filling stays in place. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool and garnish with (wild) herbs or small sprouts.
Vegan potato and onion pie
Ingredients for four:
1 pkg (500 g) vegan puff pastry
150 g new potatoes
1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper
1 bunch of spring onions
1 can (150 g) of oat fraiche
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh thyme
Do as follows:
Allow the frozen pastry to soften at room temperature for 1 hour before making the pie. Once it is soft enough, spread it on a baking sheet and roll the dough out thinner. Use a fork to make some holes in the middle to prevent the pastry under the fillings from rising too much. Set the oven at 220°C (approximately 430°F) and place the pastry and baking sheet on an oven pan.
Wash the potatoes and parboil them in salted water. Cut the white parts of the onions into thin rings and chop the green tops separately. Sauté the white parts of the onions in olive oil until their color starts to change slightly. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the chopped green tops, balsamic vinegar and oat fraîche. Taste: onions should be slightly salty to give enough flavor to the potatoes.
Spread the onions over a sheet of puff pastry, leaving a few centimeters uncovered at the edges, just as you would when making a pizza. Cover the onion and oat fraîche mix with a thin layer of potato slices. Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy.
Cherry tartlets
Ingredients for four:
1 pkg (500 g) of puff pastry
4 tbs almond butter
500 g cherries
1 can (250 g) mascarpone cheese
100 g Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
30–60 g powdered sugar
Do as follows:
Allow the frozen pastry to soften at room temperature for 1 hour. Set the oven at 220°C (approximately 430°F). Cut the pastry sheets in half or take round shapes from them using a glass. Prick holes into them to prevent them from rising too much. Bake the pieces in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. Allow the baked pieces to cool before adding the toppings. Squish the pastries down so that the toppings will not fall off.
Rinse the cherries, save a few for garnish and remove the stones from the rest. Whisk the mascarpone and yoghurt together until fluffy and season with icing sugar and vanilla extract to taste. Spread a tablespoon of almond butter on top of each piece of pastry. Add a few halved cherries on top of the almond butter. Spread or pipe the mascarpone on top of the cherries. Garnish with whole cherries and serve immediately
Set the table
KoKo plate
Papilio tea towels
Carelia dinner fork
Fish&Fish bottle
Kastehelmi tumbler
Oiva plate
Splash vase
Aamu tablecloth
Wild Herb Cookbook
Strandgade Stem vase
Lunch box with three layers
Green Tool cutting board
Design Stories contributor Suvi Kesäläinen is a photographer, who loves to create dishes that are not only delicious but also fast and easy to make. She’s passionate about the best seasonal ingredients, local food and intriguing culinary trends.
See also:
• New tableware at Finnish Design Shop >
Text and photos: Suvi Kesäläinen