Summer menu - Tomato and goat cheese tart, chicken tapenade and no-wilt bean salad

Recipe Courtesy of Elizabeth Dougherty

This is a very pleasant summer menu that is relatively easy to prepare. It can all be made ahead, so it is great for a little al fresco dinner party. (Yes, the tart pastry has a lot of butter in it, but it's an appetizer, so most people will only have one slice.)

Ingredients - tart

2 cups ap flour
2 sticks of very cold butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 large tomato, 2 medium, or a pint of cherry tomatoes
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup of half and half
sea salt and white pepper
5-6 basil leaves

Method - tart

In a food processor, add the flour. Slice the butter into pats and add to the flour. Buzz until the butter looks the size of small peas. Beat one of the eggs with the water. Add to the processor. Buzz until it starts to come together. Form the dough into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and let chill for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet (with a lip) with cooking spray. Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick. Roll the dough up with the rolling pin and unroll on the cookie sheet. Add 1/4 cup parmesan. Slice the tomatoes and add them to the tart in one layer leaving a couple inch border all around. Crumble the goat cheese and add it.  Mix the remaining egg with the half and half in a bowl using a fork. Add about 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper to the mixture. Fold the tart edges back over the tart about 2 inches, pinching it as you go to avoid leaks. (It's still going to leak a little. It always does.) Pour the custard mixture over the tart. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Chiffonade the fresh basil and add over the top when it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients - chicken

4-6 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1 cup of white wine
1 cup of Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 TB minced fresh garlic
1/2 TB capers, chopped
1 tsp anchovy paste
1 lemon

Method

Fill a deep frying pan about 3/4 full with water. Allow to come up to a simmer. Add the white wine. Trim your chicken breasts of any fat, etc. and add to the pan. Simmer for about 12 - 15 minutes until fully cooked. Set aside to cool. Zest and juice lemon and add those to the processor with the remaining ingredients. Buzz until it is a chunky puree. Serve over the chicken with the summer bean salad below.

 

Ingredients  - bean salad

1 can garbanzo beans
1 pound green beans ( a combo of green, yellow and purple is great if you can find them)
1 large red onion
4 stalks celery
1 large red pepper
2 large bunches of green onion
1 bunch fresh tarragon
1 bottle of white wine
1 large shallot
2 lemons
2 TB white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt and white pepper

Finely chop the green and red onion and celery. Rinse the garbanzo beans. Trim and cut the green beans into bite-sized pieces. Boil the green (or other color beans) for about 2 minutes, then shock in cold water. Cut the red pepper into small dice. Add all the vegetables to a serving bowl. Finely chop about 1/4 cup of tarragon. Set aside, but keep the stems. Boil the bottle of wine with the stems until it is only 1 cup in volume. Allow to cool. Finely chop shallot and zest lemons. Juice lemons. Pour the wine (remove stems first) over the shallot and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar. Then whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the beans and combine. Add the tarragon. Combine. Serve.