Tartish

Blog!

Hello fans, friends, fowl, and family! Today is going to be a spotlight on the idea of eating tarts all the time, especially for breakfast (as I currently do now) and the sunny inspiration of this wonderful sunny pleasure below:

Alyson's Lemon Curd Tart with Olive Oil

For those of you who may not know, my little sister got married last weekend! She and her betrothed are sunning it up in Cancun and basking in margaritas, chips/salsas, and newlywed bliss.

As part of the day of preparations, my mom and I decided to fortify the bridal party AND the crew (Hairdresser Lisa, Cameraman Spencer, Makeup Artist Annabelle) with one of Alyson's favorite lush meals, chicken caesar salad. My mom also made a lemon tart to go along with…BUT the sea was angry that day, and the curd did not cooperate. It sadly was thrown to the wayside and an emergency trip to the store was made for JARRED LEMON CURD

Lets just say, if you want to eat a tart filled with a gelatinous matter that exists in a jar for 13 months, then you will eat a vienna sausage or some spam.

Wedding Crew

I do want to say that Nancy is a SAINT and everything she makes is gold. Also, Kaitlyn Kirkwood is a saint too, because she was the one who tried the jarred tart. Bless their souls.

No matter! I have remedied the malady of the jarred tart with this procedure, courtesy of Gourmet Magazine.

Step One:

Tart Dough! This dough was enriched with a glug or two of olive oil, Kerrygold butter (heh, St Patty's day is coming up) and ground almonds. A nutty, buttery, rich, and crumbly crust is highly desirable, yes?

Step Two:

Press the dough into a tart pan with removable bottom. There will be fingerprints on the tart. This proves you are human and not a cyborg that creates perfectly smooth tart bottoms with an offset spatula.

Step Three:

Blind bake the tart until golden brown. Lightly grease a sheet of tin foil and cover the tart. Then, fill the tart to the brim with cheap pinto beans you purchased at the Food Pavilion. Next, trick your boyfriend into thinking you made a bean pie. Laugh hysterically as he does not get the joke, nor does he understand why you are taking a bean filled tart out of the oven.

Step Four:

Make the curd while the tart shell cools. Begin by artfully laying out lemons on the table. Go ahead, play with the shadows cast by the fruit in your own crazy sugar induced photo shoot.

Zest and juice lemons, and combine with your eggs, sugar, olive oil, and cornstarch (for thickening). Bring to a brief boil on the stove and watch before your very eyes as the eggs and starch thicken the mixture into a smooth and creamy lemon dream.

In summary, there is no substitute for a fresh lemon taste. There are attempts made by the taste of Lemonhead brand candy, but other than that, you must use the real thing.

I must say, I am a sucker for anything that uses a fine oil in its title. Therefore, does anyone have any other suggestions for me? I am dying to make Otto's Olive Oil Gelato….

Alyson's Creamy Smooth Lemon Dream Tart slice, signing off.