When my friend Audrey, invited members of our French class over for dinner in her backyard, I could hardly wait for that night to arrive. We all volunteered to bring a part of the meal. Audrey made Lemon Chicken with Croutons, from the Barefoot in Paris cookbook by Ina Garten. The three chickens that she roasted over a bed of sliced onion and olive oil were stuffed with fresh lemons. The result was lots and lots of rich and delicious juice that she poured over large, homemade croutons.
I offered to bring a couple of Blueberry-Almond Tarts (the recipe follows). I found the recipe for them in an old issue of Bon Appetit magazine (August 2002). The crust is very tender with a nice hint of almond. The cooked blueberry layer has an intense blueberry flavor that really enhances the fresh blueberries on top.
Blueberry-Alomnd Tart (photo from Bon Appetit magazine, August 2002)
Here we are, enjoying our meal.
OK—so these folks aren't really us but rather my favorite Renoir painting, titled: Luncheon of the Boating Party.
Blueberry-Almond Tart
Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Filling
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup red currant jelly
FOR CRUST: Lightly butter 9-inch diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Blend flour, 1/4 cup sliced almonds, sugar, and salt in food processor until almonds are finely ground. Add butter; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolk and almond extract in small bowl; add to processor and blend until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Pierce crust all over with fork; freeze 30 minutes.
FOR FILLING: Combine 2 cups berries, sugar and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan. Coarsely mash berries. Stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils and thickens, about 7 minutes. Whisk yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in half of hot berry mixture; return to pan. Stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils and thickens, about 3 minutes. Whisk in butter and lemon peel Transfer filling to bow. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until crust is golden, about 18 minutes longer. Cool crust completely on rack.
Spread filling in crust; sprinkle remaining 2 cups berries over top. Stir currant jelly in small saucepan over medium heat until melted; brush over berries. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sliced almonds around edge of tart. Cover loosely with foil and chill at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Remove pan sides. Place tart on platter. Serve cold or at room temperature.