FIG, GRAPE AND GOAT CHEESE TART WITH HONEY AND THYME

I moved to Paris in 1981.

It was a time when people held dinner parties.  We used the Limoges china we had received as a wedding present and pulled out the good silver.  We had formal dining rooms, not kitchen/great rooms, and people dressed up.

And that was just in New York City!  The French elevated this to a whole other level.

In Paris, every dinner would be four courses:  the appetizer (entrée in French which makes so much more sense as a name for the first course, or entry, than for the main), the main course, the cheese course, and finally dessert.

We learned at our first attempt at entertaining that the French did not serve hors d’oeurves before the meal.  At most you would get a plate of small crackers or perhaps some nuts.  And they never put out cheese before dinner.

Yes, there were rules and yes, you stuck to them!

It was a different time. A last gasp of formality which had been slowly dying out since World War I.  And while life is certainly freer and easier, sometimes I miss the detail and preparation which went in to entertaining, and the formality.

This Fig, Grape and Goat Cheese Tart combines the cheese course and dessert into one simple dish.  It is easier than it looks and you can make it in advance.  And, while in my mind nothing will replace the sheer extravagance and delight of the cheese course, it has an elegance of it’s own.

First, the pastry.  I am using the same short crust pastry which I have used for my Strawberry Galette.  You can get the details here.  But truthfully, if you don’t have time to make the pastry you can use ready-made puff pastry.  Just make sure you prick the bottom of the puff pastry in the tart well so it doesn’t puff up and ruin your design when cooking.

Roll out the pastry and grease (or spray) the bottom and sides of your tart pan.  Line the tart pan

then sprinkle all over with some good goat cheese.  Add fresh thyme leaves and dribble with honey.

Quarter your figs and cut the grapes in half.  I used a variety of different types of grapes.  But you don’t have to.

Create your tart by placing the figs and grapes on top of the cheese, making a design of your choice.

Brush the whole thing with some more honey and into the oven it goes!

I used a small tart tin since I was only cooking for two.  And then I used the remainder to make the same tart but  as a galette.    The method is the same and the resulting dish just as good, but different!

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FIG, GRAPE AND GOAT CHEESE TART WITH HONEY AND THYME

Ingredients

For the Pastry

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup cold butter
• ¼ - ½ cup ice water

For the Filling

• 4 oz good quality goat cheese
• 5-6 fresh figs
• 1-2 cups assorted seedless grapes
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Make the pastry:

1. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt together. Cut the butter into small cubes and using a pastry blender or food processor, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles sand. Add the ice water a little at a time until the pastry comes together. Form it into a ball, flatten it a bit and refrigerate for at least an hour.

For the tart:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Grease or spray your tart pan with cooking oil.
2. Roll the pastry out to 1/8’ thickness and line the pan.
3. Crumble the goat cheese and distribute evenly over the tart base. Dribble the cheese with two tablespoons of honey and sprinkle with the thyme leaves.
4. Trim the stems off the figs and quarter them.
5. Cut the grapes in half.
6. Form a design with the figs and grapes on top of the cheese.
7. Whisk the egg and brush the exposed edges of the pastry.
8. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is lightly browned.
9. Remove from the oven and brush the fruit with the remaining honey.
10. Let cool and remove from the tart pan