Tartlets Dressed in Purple — Tartelettes habillées de violet

by Béa

blue potato vitelotte tart puff pastry

Purple + purple = purple.

J’ai toujours été forte en maths! (I have always been good at maths!)

Couleur ? Du violet — Color? Some Purple

I often find myself left with puff pastry leftovers. When I make a batch of dough, I know that I will usually have for more than only one tart. Since I always put a fair amount of effort into making puff pastry — I always procrastinate a lot before I start the process — I always rule out the possibility to toss the tiniest piece of it in the garbage. Hors de question ! I think in terms of maximize-the-work-put-into-it. My puff pastry is way too precious. So, every single time I make this special dough, we typically have a lot of little nibbles around in the house. Mini tarts here, mini tarts there, sweet or savory. I have to come up with ideas quickly in order to use it, but to be honest, this is a pretty easy task as I just love to make tarts. The smaller, the better.

You might remember seeing my roasted tomato and arugula tart (recipe will follow, I promise!). With some puff pastry left in my hands, I quickly inspected my fridge and thought it would be fun to make purple tarlets. Mais oui, toutes violettes !
 I had lovely Italian eggplants bought the day before — and we all know that those don’t last for long — , and some of the red onions preparation that I used for my tomato tart — looking purple too after they are cooked. The beautiful piece of mozzarella I had left was going to come into play too, as well as the bag of All Blue Potatoes I initially had planned to use for a salad.

All Blue Potatoes — Pommes de terre All Blue

Blue is their name, but they actually look more purple to me. In fact, to be more exact, they are really blue, but have a strong hue of purple. These potatoes are delicious roasted, for making chips or baked in the oven. Originally from the United States — who said that Ireland or the Andes were the only places known to produce potatoes — , they are commonly found here in the US and in England, as far as I know. What about where you live?

Update: Thanks to Gamelle, I now know that those potatoes are called Vitelotte in French. Merci Gamelle !

With this nice list of ingredients handy, it became very simple to improvise Purple Tartlets.

Purple Tartlets

Pour l’apéro !

You need:

(For about 10 small ones)

  • Puff pastry
  • 2 eggplants
  • 9 oz purple potatoes cooked, then peeled and sliced.
  • Tarragon
  • Mozzarella
  • 1 lb + 2 oz red onions
  • Fine sugar
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Steps:

  • To make the onions, slice the onions thinly (use a mandoline if you have one). Cook in a sautée pan on low heat with 6 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp sugar, 1 bay leave, salt and pepper for 15 mns, covered. Then add 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and cook for 15 more mns.
  • Remove and let cool down.

Note: the proportions given here are for the tomato tart I made and those little tartlets. If you want less red onion preparation, simply divide the quantities by half.

  • Preheat your oven at 400 F.
  • Slice the aubergines (about 1/4 ” thick).
  • Take a frying pan and cook them in olive oil for 5 mns, on both side.
  • Roll your dough thin and cut little rounds (about 3″ wide).
  • Prick them with a fork and top them with the red onions.
  • Put 1 or 2 slices of aubergines, then 2 of potatoes.
  • Sprinkle with chopped tarragon (or another herb) and finish with a piece of mozzarella.
  • Cook in the oven for about 20 mns or so, or until the dough is golden.

Le coin français
Des tartelettes toutes violettes

Ingrédients :

(Pour environ 10 mini tartelettes)

  • Pâte feuilletée
  • 2 aubergines
  • 250 g de pommes de terre violettes, cuites, pelées et coupées en tranches
  • Estragon
  • Mozzarella
  • 500 g oignons rouges
  • Sucre fin
  • 1 càs de vinaigre de balsamique
  • 1 feuille de laurier
  • Huile d’olive
  • Sel et poivre

Étapes :

  • Pour préparer les oignons, émincez-les finement (utilisez une mandoline si vous en avez une). Cuisez-les dans une sauteuse pendant 15 mns à couvert, avec 6 càs d’huile d’olive, 2 càc de sucre, 1 feuille de laurier, du sel et du poivre. Ajoutez ensuite 1 càs de vinaigre de balsamique et poursuivez la cuisson sur feu doux à couvert pendant 15 mns.
  • Retirez du feu et laissez refroidir.

Remarque : les proportions données correspondent à celles nécessaires pour la tarte aux tomates et ces petites tartelettes. Si vous souhaitez moins de préparation aux oignons, utilisez la moitié des quantités indiquées.

  • Préchauffez votre four à 200 C.
  • Faites de belles tranches dans les aubergines (environ 0,5 cm d’épaisseur).
  • Prenez une poêle et faites revenir les aubergines dans de l’huile d’olive, 5 mns de chaque côté. Réservez-les sur du papier absorbant.
  • Étalez votre pâte finement et coupez des cercles (environ 8 cm).
  • Piquez-les avec une fourchette et couvrez les d’oignons.
  • Placez 2 tranches d’aubergines et 2 de pommes de terre
  • Saupoudrez d’estragon haché (ou une autre herbe) et terminez par une tranche fine de mozzarella.
  • Cuisez au four pendant environ 20 mns, jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit dorée.
Posted in Appetizers, Tarts, Vegetarian

32 comments

  1. what a beautiful homage to purple. plus, you used what you had around the kitchen. lovely job. [and i saw blue potatoes the other day and wondered what to do with them and now i know 😉 ]

  2. ah, your aubergine are so gorgeous! I just got some beautiful white and stripped ones in my market basket! I can’t wait to use them!

  3. Lovely purple. I’ve also seen a white type too. I love eggplant and it sounds like it goes so well with pastry dough.

  4. So funny!!!, I am just preparing a “Blue Meal” for one of my friend’s birthday this Wednesday.
    In french the potatoes name, is “Vitelotte”
    As usual the photos Bea are …perfect!

  6. bea, purple+purple=gorgeous! especially coming from you. I truly cannot touch your plating and style. it’s very inspiring 🙂

  8. I love bright foods. They’re just more fun to eat. I’ve never had a purple potato, but I want to!

  9. It’s simple: you are a genius! These look so beautiful. I love the purple potatoes (I think they are purple) and the eggplant and the onion!
    Yes sir, genius!

  11. I like eggplant going with tarragon, how can I control myself not to finish up all your pretty tartlets! I’ll look for purple potato, but will make the dough from it, to see if the base can turn all purple as well.

  13. bea this is wonderful!
    I am the same. whenever I make pastry I never waste a scrap. You put so much effort into it, there is no way you would want to throw out even a bit!

  14. On en apprend donc tous les jours, jamais entendu parler chez moi de pommes de terre violettes. C’est bien joli en tout cas…

  15. Hi, Bea!
    These purple tartlets look so beautiful and delicious – just as if they are straight carried out of a painting…
    Haha, I do exactly the same thing, I never throw some rests into the garbage, as a matter of fact – I still have some dough in my fridge, from my latest savoury cookies, waiting to be used… (I’ll post it soon!)
    It is just screaming to be used for little tartlets =)

  16. The recipe sounds very good. A nice use of the special potatoes, which I have seen recently in the neighborhood. I was thinking I might follow this recipe exactly and serve them tonight and see what Loic says. I think he’d be pleasantly suprised because it has been awhile since I served a nice first course, something creative and interesting like this. Bea, remember that puff pastry aslo freezes very well – always good to have on hand in case of unexpected guests.

  18. je n’aime pas le goût des vitelottes mais tes tartelettes sont si jolies (ou tes photos, ou le tout..??!!) que j’ai quand même envie de les retrouver dans mon assiette!!

  19. C’est surement tres bon, je ne connais pas le gout des vitelottes. Mais avec des photos pareilles, tu nous ferais avaler n’importe quoi!

  21. Bea, these are superb and just the cutest little tarts ever! I love your purple theme for this dish, and the flavours working together! Unfortunately, I’ve never seen these ‘blue’ potatoes, but I am going to try and track them down!

  24. Connie, thank you. I cannot wait to see you use them.

    L, thanks! Oh yes please show them, I am curious!

    Kat, yes I have seen white for eggplants. Never cooked with them though, or maybe only once.

    Gamelle, merci! It is updated now. Cannot wait to see your blue menu.

    Jeff, of course. We could do that for sure.

    Amanda, eh thanks 😉 You are really making me blush here!

    Peabody, ah really? I guess I had a sixth sense then.

    Natalia, yes definitely try them. Ask your veggie guy.

    Tanna, I wish I were 😉 thanks my dear.

    Catherine, thank you.

    Gattina, this is an excellent idea, the dough. I never thought about it. I want to see it on your blog soon!

    Cathy, merci.

    JenJen, excatly. I owe this to my mum actually. Never toss anything!

    Beah, j’espère que tu pourras en trouver.

    Julia, ah nice. Looking forward to seeing your cookies! Ik houd van cookies 😉

    Lucy, yes you are right, I should freeze more. I sometimes think about it too late. I am delighted to hear you will make them. I hope Loic likes them. Let me know! Nervous now!

    Grignote, merci!

    Avital, c’est bien cela si j’arrive à te convertir.

    Gracianne, elle est bien bonne celle-là. T’es vraiment trop drôle.

    Sooishi, c’est vrai, ca change du rouge ou de l’orange, pas vrai?

    Ellie, I hope you can find them. I have an excellent book about potatoes and I am always amazed to see the amount of varieties that exist. They fascinate me.

    Dianka, thanks!

    Molly, you know funny you should say that because my first time ever in the US, I stayed with a host family and her idea was that the French were the masters at improvising food. Not sure why she thought so but she put me to work to prove it every day 😉

  26. Pingback: La tartine gourmande » Blog Archive » Tarte aux tomates confites, oignons rouges et roquette — Roasted Tomatoes, Red Onions and Arugula Tart

  29. tant pis, je suis très en retard ici, mais je ne peux m’empêcher de te dire, vive ton hymne au violet: les vitelottes et les aubergines, sont deux légumes qui me font trouver la nature meveilleuse: comment fait -elle pour faire de si jolies couleurs? ça me laisse perplexe et admirative!