Roasted summer vegetables tucked into tartlets
A summer vegetable quandary: My favorite way to eat zucchini, eggplant and peppers is to roast them until their sugars caramelize, their centers collapse and they turn floppy, rich and sweet. But my least favorite thing to do in summer is to crank up the oven to achieve this glorious state.
Autumn’s arrival, however, with its crisp afternoons and chilly evenings, means I can turn up the heat and never regret it.
My roasting method for these juicy vegetables has remained pretty constant over the years. I cube or slice them, then toss them with loads of olive oil and salt, and a few sprigs of whatever branchy herbs are nearby (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, marjoram — you get the idea). Then I roast everything at somewhere between 400 and 450 degrees, depending on how fast and brown I want them.
It’s what happens after they come out of the oven that varies.
Often the answer is nothing. I’ll eat the contents of the pan without even bothering to put them on a plate.
But on more ambitious days, I’ll mix the vegetables into a salad, or drizzle them with yogurt herb sauce or tahini sauce, or nestle them under mozzarella or manchego or blue cheese on crostini. And they are absolutely wonderful tossed with pasta and anchovies or with polenta and Parmesan for a more filling meal.
Here, I’ve taken the vegetables even further, turning them into a filling for elegant individual tartlets.
You can use nearly any roasted vegetables for this, but I especially like the combination of zucchini and tomatoes, which can be cooked together in the same pan.
After roasting, I toss the vegetables with some hot honey for sweetness and spice, and vinegar for tang. Then I layer them with herbed ricotta in a cheddar-spiked pastry, each tart tucked into its own muffin cup, where it bakes up golden and very savory.
You can make the filling and dough ahead if you like, but these tartlets are best served on the same day as baking, preferably while still warm from the oven when the ricotta is at its creamiest.
And if you do choose to make this all in one day, roasting the vegetables and then baking the tarts does mean you’ll have your oven on for quite a while. But as jacket weather settles in, a warm, cozy kitchen isn’t bad.
Zucchini and tomato tartlets with a cheddar crust Yield: 12 servings Ingredients: For the crust:
1 1/2 cups/170 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/65 grams whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 sticks/12 tablespoons/170 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 large egg, whisked 3/4 cup/55 grams sharp cheddar, grated
3 medium zucchini, about 2 pounds, trimmed and cut into 1/2inch cubes
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes 2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons hot honey, more for drizzling if you like. If you don’t have hot honey, such as Mike’s, substitute regular honey mixed with a pinch or two of cayenne. 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
1 large egg
3 tablespoons chopped chives 1 small garlic clove, grated
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
For the filling: For the topping:
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, for brushing the tops 6 tablespoons finely grated cheddar
Preparation: Step 1:
Prepare the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flours and salt. Pulse in butter and cheddar until mixture resembles chickpeas. Drizzle in whisked egg and ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 6 tablespoons, pulsing occasionally until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. Form dough into a ball, wrap with plastic and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
While dough chills, prepare the filling. Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and tomatoes with rosemary, salt, red pepper and olive oil; spread mixture out into one layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and golden, 40 to 50 minutes. Stir honey and vinegar into the hot vegetables, then let cool completely.
Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray or use a nonstick muffin pan. Roll out dough to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle, trimming any rough edges. Cut into a dozen 4-by-4-inch pieces and gently press each piece into the holes of the muffin tin, leaving the 4 corners hanging over the edges. Chill dough for at least another 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, chives and garlic. Season with a large pinch each of salt and black pepper.
Divide ricotta mixture into the bottom of each tart, using about 1 tablespoon each. Top with the roasted vegetables. Fold edges of crust over filling. Brush tops of tarts with cream or milk and sprinkle with cheese. Place muffin tin on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees until bubbling and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Drizzle tarts with a little honey (about 1/2 teaspoon per tartlet) if you like. Cool slightly before serving.
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