Pastry, creamy fillings and fruit - this is how I see scrumptious summer tarts. They are impressive and look great and are of course, delicious. What's not to like about such homemade pleasures in a sunny garden, surrounded by pretty flowers and herbs, with a cuppa or glass of vino to relish the summer season?
There is no need to keep to fruits, though, as Irish-grown summer vegetables like courgettes, beetroot or spring onions are ideal for making tarts to take on picnics, to the beach or on a hike. We’ve the best cheesemakers here as well, so combining all these wonderful ingredients makes perfect sense and it also saves on the shopping bills.
This week, I’ve included tips on working with pastry, especially useful for this time of the year when it can be a bit challenging in a warm kitchen.
Tips for working with pastry
Tip Tins Perforated tart or flan tins are great. The point of these holes is to allow the air to circulate during cooking, ensuring a lovely golden colour, crisp pastry and no "soggy bottoms"!
MasterClass Crusty Bake Non-stick Fluted Quiche Tin 25cm, €20.95 + postage, thekitchenwhisk.ie Beetroot fig & goats cheese tart This is neither sweet nor savoury – it replaces your dessert and a cheese course in one! I love it as I’m getting some sweetness as well as all the cheese flavours and of course, scrumptious wedges of figs and beetroot
Berry cream tart Sometimes this is referred to as a tart cake. It is great for special family occasions. The layers can be made the day before and kept in a sealed container. The cream can be ready in the piping bag the day before as well, so all you do is an assembly job when you want to serve. It is so versatile, add use any fruits you want or chocolates and sprinkles, edible flowers, and herbs.
Serves 8 to 10 For the pastry layers
You will need a sheet of paper to cut out a shape as a template. Method
Search by ingredient, chef or programme
© RTÉ 2022. RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Ireland's National Public Service Media. RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Images Courtesy of Getty Images.