To see Pascale make this dish, watch the Pascale's Kitchen IGTV Channel
I readily admit that these tarts are a labor of love. Yes, it does take some time to roll up all those zucchini rosettes and yes, it’s worth it. All of this because of a photograph I saw in a magazine in France. The photo showed one giant zucchini “rose” that covered an entire tart. I made a version of that dish for my Les Fruits cookbook in which I added tomatoes to the rosettes to add another layer of flavor and some juiciness. I had only rolled two zucchini ribbons and added some tomatoes around the outside when I realized that it looked like a rose and so made dozens more resembling an edible bouquet. Turns out it was a delicious one, too.
This mini version is just made with zucchini.
Makes 4 individual tartlettes:
For the tart shell (you will have some dough remaining, refrigerate the rest for later use):
9 oz unbleached all-purpose flour
5 ½ oz butter — cut into small pieces
Zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly butter four, 4-inch tart pans.
Place all the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Use longer pulses until the dough forms a ball.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. (You can make the dough ahead of time and remove it from the fridge approximately 20 minutes before using.)
On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 14-inch circle. Line the four tart pans with the dough. Trim the edges with a sharp knife and then prick the dough with a fork.
For the zucchini :
4-6 yellow squash/zucchini (if they are small you may need a couple more)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
Salt
5-6 grinds black pepper
Remove the ends of the zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. To make a rosette, tightly roll one strip. Repeat with the remaining strips. Place the rosettes upright on a board until you are ready to assemble the tart.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and 5-6 grinds of pepper and 1 tablespoon of chives. Reserve.
For the cheese filling and to assemble the tart:
1/4 cup goat cheese — crumbled
1/4 cup ricotta
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 grinds black pepper
In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste. Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared tart bases.
Starting with the outside edge of the tart, tightly pack the zucchini rosettes standing them next to one another.
Bake for 20-25 minutes in the center of the oven, until the crust is a pale golden brown.
For the Herb Salad:
2 handfuls pea sprouts
20 purple basil leaves
20 Thai or lemon basil leaves
20 cilantro leaves
For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Pinch of salt
3-4 grinds pepper
Arrange the pea sprouts in a circle of four dinner plates. Intersperse the basil and cilantro leaves in and around the pea sprouts.
In a small bowl whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients. When the tarts are ready, carefully place the in the center of each dinner plate, then lightly drizzle the vinaigrette over the herbs. Serve while the tarts are still warm.
