French Picnic Tart with Potatoes, Red Peppers, Sage, and Gruyere
Yield: 4 main-dish servings, more as a side dish
Preparation: Preparation time (after the crust is made): 1 hour (30 minutes of work)

Transport yourself to the French countryside without even leaving your house. With this beautiful, authentic tasting tart, you'll feel like you're really there.


1 unbaked "Perfect Ten" Tart Crust (recipe follows)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
l large onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to tatse)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound small red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups grated gruyere or emmenthaler cheese (1/4 pound)
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage (or 2 teaspoons dried sage)
1 medium-sized red pepper, thinly sliced
  1. Prepare the "Perfect Ten" Tart Crust and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over high heat. Add the onion and salt, turn the heat down, and cook slowly over low heat until the onion is translucent and tender (10 to 15 minutes). Remove from heat, sprinkle generously with black pepper, and set aside.
  3. While the onion is cooking, place the potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender but still in tact (about 10 to 15 minutes). Drain and set aside.
  4. Sprinkle about 1 cup of the cheese into the bottom of the unbaked crust. Spoon the cooked onion over the cheese and sprinkle with sage.
  5. Arrange the potato slices to overlap in concentric circles, covering the onion and sage, then create an artful arrangement of bell pepper slices on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and a little extra black pepper.
  6. Set the tart on a baking tray for easy handling, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden around the edges. (Move the tray to the lowest shelf of the oven for the last 5 minutes, to be sure the bottom crust is cooked through and crisp.)
  7. Remove the tray from the oven, slide the tart off the tray, and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. To serve, remove the rim and cut the tart into wedges. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.


"PERFECT TEN" TART CRUST

Yield: 1 10-inch crust
Preparation time: 10 minutes

A great 10-inch crust in 10 minutes flat. This is good for sweet and savory tarts alike.

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1/4 teaspoon salt (if the butter is unsalted)
1 to 3 tablespoons cold water
  1. Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut in the butter in slices, and buzz several times until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal.
  2. Continue to process in quick spurts as you add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. As soon as the dough adheres to itself when pinched together, stop adding water, and turn it out onto a floured surface.
  3. Roll the dough into an 11-inch or so circle (slightly bigger than a 10-inch round). Lift the dough into the tart pan, nudging it gently into the corners, and use your hands to form an even edge all the way around. Wrap tightly, and store in the refrigerator or freezer until use.