Where have I been, I wonder myself, and where did time fly by this week? I just don’t know.
Sometimes life takes its course, not asking whether you agree with it or not. And with this being said, it was really much harder for me to get back into the swing of things.
Into a normal pace of life.
In fact, I found out that it is even more real now that the weather is gorgeous outside, and the thought of spending time inside, to write or do anything that keeps me between four walls, sounds less appealing. I am really an outdoors girl, and like a dog traveling in a car and sniffing the air through the window, I cannot help but want to go to play outside. I know you would feel the same way, wouldn’t you? We agree that we have to enjoy spring, and summer, as long as they offer us wonderful days.
But I also knew that I could not let another day go by without coming here to chat with you. I have missed it too. So even if I perhaps do not have anything amazingly interesting to say, I still have a few images and one favorite recipe to share. Easy to make, easy to eat, easy to pack with you.
I had promised to talk more about my love for tartlets and this recipe is a good way to start: I make it quite often, with many variations on the crust and the topping.
Since it is a long holiday in the US this weekend, and it is so nice — and warm — outside, P. and I decided to go out for a picnic. I decided to pack a few things: most likely a carrot salad, Moroccan style; these lovely grated vegetable tartlets, an egg salad — P.’s favorite; perhaps vegetable and goat cheese sandwiches if we are still hungry; juicy dark cherries or peaches, and a few chocolate cookies. I know we will have a good time.
The mystery of these tartlets resides in a few things: first there is the crust, which is a combination of brown rice flour, quinoa and tapioca flours with olive oil and poppyseeds; grated celeriac stewed with leek and red onion; and the delightful scent of poivre long — Long pepper — to flavor the dish.
You do not need to use much long pepper, and perhaps if you are new to this subtle spice, you will want to try just a tiny touch. Me? I love its smell: a little sweet, delicious in sweet and savory preparations. Try it with lamb, osso bucco, in soups, with goat cheese and even in a crème brûlée.
Variations on these tartlets abound, of course. For the topping, I don’t like to add a lot of egg/milk batter because I prefer to taste the vegetables more. I like to vary the vegetables too: I sometimes use grated carrots and parsnip, zucchinis and sometimes beets too. A slice of prosciutto added on top will enhance the tartlet, and a green salad — arugula, frisée or mâche — will always accompany the meal Ca, c’est obligé ! Note that because the crust is using brown rice flour — making the recipe gluten free — the consistency of the crust is much crumblier, hence a little more delicate to work with. But as you can assess, not impossible since at each time, the tartlets are a success. Of course, you can always substitute regular flour for the ones I suggest: a matter of choice and preference.
So off we go before the day is over and the sun is down. I want to feel the breeze on my face, feel the sun warm my skin and walk bare feet in the grass. The birds will keep us company. They have much to say these days too.
And in any case, be inspired by your mood to create a tartlet of your own choice. They can never disappoint.
For the crust:
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup quinoa flour
- 1/4 cup quality olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp poppyseeds
- Pinch of salt
Steps:
- In a large bowl, place all flours with the salt and poppyseeds.
- Make a well in the middle and break the egg. Work the dough into a homogeneous texture, then add the oil.
- Finish with the water, enough for the dough to form a ball. Wrap in a plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours until firmer.
- Roll the dough and garnish four (or 5) tartlet molds — I use non-stick with removable bottoms molds; set aside in the fridge.
For the topping:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 celeriac, peeled and soft middle part removed (about 9 or 10 oz), grated
- 1 leek, white part, sliced finely
- 1 red onion, sliced finely
- 3 Tbsp of chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp hazelnut flour
- 1/4 cup milk or unsweetened soy milk
- 2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese or crème fraîche
- Salt
- 4 to 5 slices of Taleggio cheese, diced
- 1/2 long pepper, crushed with a mortar or in a spice grinder
Steps:
- Preheat your oven at 350 F.
- In a large saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Make the onion sweat for 4 min.
- Add the leek and continue to cook for 3 min, stirring occasionally.
- Then add the celeriac. Season with salt and cook for 1 min. Cover then reduce the heat and cook for 10 min until softer. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- In the meantime, beat the egg with a fork and add the milk, cream, hazelnut flour, long pepper and parsley. Add to the cooked vegetables.
- Garnish the tartlets with the vegetable preparation.
- Add the cheese on top and cook in the oven for about 40 to 45 min.
Pour la pâte :
- 150 g de farine de riz complet
- 40 g de farine de tapioca
- 40 g de farine de quinoa
- 60 ml d’huile d’olive de qualité
- 60 ml d’eau froide
- 1 oeuf
- 1 pincée de sel
- 1 càs de graines de pavot
Étapes :
- Dans une jatte, mélangez les farines avec le sel et les graines de pavot.
- Faites un puits au milieu et cassez l’oeuf. Travaillez pour obtenir une texture homogène, puis continuez avec l’huile.
- Terminez avec l’eau, suffisamment pour former une boule. Enveloppez-la dans un film alimentaire et mettez au frigo pendant 2 heures pour qu’elle se raffermisse.
- Étalez la pâte et foncez 4 ou 5 petits moules à tartelette — j’utilise des moules anti-adhésifs à fond amovible ; mettez en attente au frigo.
Pour la garniture :
- 2 càs d’huile d’olive
- 1 petite boule de céleri rave, épluchée et nettoyée de sa partie centale creuse (250 g à 300 g); râpée
- 1 poireau, partie blanche emincée
- 1 oignon rouge, emincé
- 3 càs de persil haché
- 1 oeuf
- 1 càs de farine de noisette
- 60 ml de lait ou de lait de soja non sucré
- 2 càs de mascarpone ou de crème fraîche (facultatif)
- 4 à 5 tranches de fromage Taleggio, coupées en dés
- Sel
- 1/2 poivre long, pile au mortier ou dans un moulin à café; ou râpé avec une râpe à muscade
Étapes :
- Préchauffez votre four à 180 C.
- Faites chauffer 2 càs d’huile d’olive dans une sauteuse et faites-y suer l’oignon pendant 4 min.
- Ajoutez le poireau et poursuivez la cuisson pendant 3 min.
- Ajoutez ensuite le céleri râpé. Salez et faites suer 1 min, puis couvrez et cuisez pendant 10 min sur feu doux à moyen. Retirez du feu et laissez refroidir.
- En attendant, battez l’oeuf en omelette et ajoutez le lait, la crème, la farine de noisette, le poivre et le persil. Mélangez aux légumes râpés.
- Répartissez cette préparation sur les fonds de tartelette.
- Ajoutez le fromage et enfournez pendant 40 à 45 min.
What a lovely picnic…happy long weekend!
Stunning photos of scrumptious food, as usual – just love your blog, please may I post about you and link your blog? Thanks in advance 🙂
That tartlet sounds like sheer pleasure! I’ve been wanting to find a savoury pie with celeriac and that’s it. Thanks!
Bravo et bravo pour cet éclat de couleurs que tu nous offres..c’est l’été au printemps et avec une belle saveur de bonheur….
Great post! Everything looks so beautiful, fresh and delicious! I love long pepper and it’s refined flavor!
Cheers,
Rosa
Ah, ces photos…
It is great that you and P. are enjoying this long weekend. All my friends did picnics over the last couple of weeks. To tell you the truth I have a love and hate relationship with tartlets. On one side, they look adorable. Your pictures enhanced that fact very well.
Years ago, I decided there had too much crust. Tartlets are popular and as you shown us there are infinity of ways to dish them. Since I like food that looks adorable on my plate, I will ask Jerome (he is better than me with pastry making) to prepare our own. He likes tartlets so he should be glad. Thanks for the inspiration.
It all sounds so lovely! I love using long pepper in fact it is all we use. The recipes sounds delicious, and i will definitely use your recipe’s for our next afternoon under the beautiful sky!
I know that was a wonderful picnic for the two of you Béa. In Dallas, today was just too hot & humid for us. We’ll have our picnic on the roof deck after the sun goes down. I am such a whimp.
The tarts and all your suggestions for variety are wonderful.
Enjoy!
Things look great around here. I love the surface pattern aspect of the tart on the grass. Beautiful.
These look absolutely delicious! Where do you buy all of your flours?
I want to picnic with you…it all looks so wonderful!
I feel the same way… I want to be outside, enjoy the spring, long walks… This is certainly a fabulous way to enjoy it. What a picnic. Lovely.
love spring! and picnics! looks beautiful and delicious 🙂
I’ve heard of long pepper but never used it. Wonderful to see a photo and now have a recipe that gives me some ideas.
Photos are scrumptious as usual!
I love your tartlets!! And re: long pepper – I’ve seen a photo and read about, but never tried it. Very intrigued now!
Oh so lovely to see you’re back Béa and such beautiful and refreshing tartlets to lure and inspire us too! Many hugs Bron
I have never heard of long pepper. I put pepper in big does on everything as I love it. Great photos, and a lovely picnic. I am fascinated with the pepper and going to find some. Thanks…
J’adore tes récits dans lesquels s’imbriquent recettes et idées culinaires. Agréables à lire et complétés par de magnifiques photos.
Your back Béa! I was missing your magnificent photos and recipes :(!
Nice weather over there in US. It’s starting to get gloomy here in Aus… Il fait mauvais 🙁
That’s so funny – I just made tartlets too. Spring is in the air!
http://oughttobeworking.blogspot.com/2008/05/grate-butter-for-greater-pastry-or-cute.html
Love your blog by the way!
That r sexy looking tartlets 🙂
so yummy!
You always inspire me-I love tarts and now feel the need to get in the kitchen and make some!
Vraiment mignonnes ces tartelettes, et santé en plus! Il me faut les essayer.
Béatrice, I’m not really much into baking these delicious goodies but nevertheless I tremendously enjoy the wonderful pictures … Its a sight for sore eyes!
I came upon your website by a happy mistake but I’m so glad I did … I have joined it too so I get the updates 🙂 Thanks so much!
With a picnic like that, nobody wants to stay inside. Stunning, Bea!
I might be the 1204508 person to tell you that, but you are a very talented photographer and cook.
Yippee! A new spice!! I looove spices of all kinds but I’ve never used long pepper. Thanks so much for introducing it to me.
Oh, mon dieu, your photos are beautiful, and I cannot wait to try the recipes.
Oh my goodness! This is the first time I’m visiting your blog and it is perfect! I love the foods as much as I love pictures.What a great combination!
I live in Massachusetts too.So let me know when you crave for Turkish food 🙂
Welcome back! I have been enjoying the boat and the canoe at night way too much lately…no scratch that…never enough!!
My aunt brought me the Cuisine Light magazine. All the articles that you contributed are great…be proud because some other ones are full of typos or do not list ingredients.
beautiful photos! what a lovley picnic!
As usual, gorgeous. Glad to see you used longpepper. I love its appearance, but haven’t worked with it. Must see if I can get some ordered in…
j
Heya Bea! Thanks for reacquainting me with tarts and tartlets-
I too [like an above poster] have a love hate relationship with them but it is a perfect idea to share and involve A with! We both like eggs after all and we can each tailor our own tartlet to our preferences! I am already planning a nice picnic with these for Mother’s Day! Thanks for the brilliant idea! PS My mum wanted to subscribe me to Cuisine Light and I declined as I really can’t cook “Light” these days- in flavor yes, calories non! [Maybe it is just about “light” flavor though?] – Anyways now I have a reason to say- Oui! Please subscribe me! And long pepper. COOL. I have never heard of this! Thanks! Formaggio?
K
Moi aussi j’adore les tartes, et encore plus les mini-tartes!
Je me régale déjà avec les photos
et ce week-end …je me régalerai pour de vrai.
Merci pour ce trés jolie blog.
i’ve never had nor heard of long pepper, but it sounds like something i’d love.
how much would i have to pay you to move into my house and cook for me every day? probably a lot, huh.
Thanks for posting your tartlet recipe! I love all the ideas for using different veggies. I always use butter, but I’m going to try an olive oil crust sometime soon.
Bea- So lovely- it is art. I have just tagged this recipe in my May Gluten-Free Recipe Rodeo.
What a clever post – great image – looks like an extension of the grass! And long pepper – I have never heard of it! Very creative.
Your pictures scream spring, very gently, as it is done by tender new sprouts and flower buds, blooming trees and fields and they really make you feel better and dreaming. I am not only hungry now, thank you it’s 10:43 pm, but absolutely in love with the places, I think you live in heaven. I wrote to you a while back on flickr about your pictures and you took the time to write back and thank me for the compliment. You are unbelievable, truly amazing, thank you for delighting and inspiring us with your posts.
Any chance your talent is a virus that could be passed on? Please say yes, even if not true.
Dear Bea, your photographs look so tempting as always! Your eye for colour is unerring and amazing! Looking forward to your next post!
Those tartlets look delicious and that first and last photos are so eye catching with a really fresh feel.
je visite depuis longtemps votre site, je le trouve super, vos recettes sont géniales, et les photos me font rêver, tout me ravit. Les lutins
Thank you everyone. I hope you enjoy the tartlets if you try them, and the long pepper!
In answer to the question “where do I buy my flours?”: most of the time, Whole Foods. Also some need to be special ordered, especially teff or amaranth flours. Hope this helps. And indulge in picnics! 😉
terribles tes photos!!!
Such fabulous photography and great sounding food too.
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Fantastic tart Béa. Thanks heaps. We loved them. There’s a shot of my attempt on my blog but my photography doesn’t hold a candle to yours. My wife and I, after much consideration, decided that I should omit the poppyseeds from the pastry next time. They add to the appearance and provide a very interesting crunch but we found it distracting in the end and prefer to let the pastry be smooth and luscious. I guess it’s just a matter of what you like. And we like your tarts!!