The cocktail party season is upon us, and with it a barrage of cheese and crackers in place of dinner. Not that there's anything wrong with cheese and crackers. It's just that after the third party or so, my enthusiasm for even the ripest artisanal cave-aged wedge starts to wane.Consider this savory apple tart an antidote. It hits all the requisite cheesy, alcohol-sopping notes, but it's more sophisticated and substantial.In order to make this tart particularly hearty, I fortified the chewy pizza-like crust with three kinds of flour. There's all-purpose for lightness, whole wheat for heft and nuttiness, and cornmeal for sweetness and a slight crunch. The downside is that you need to make the yeasted dough ahead of time so it can rise. But that's also the upside if you like to do things in advance, and the dough does very well rising overnight in the refrigerator. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature before trying to flatten it out, or you won't get very far.
As for the topping, it's a comforting, mellow jumble of sweet roasted apples and shallots that's scented with thyme and zipped up with pungent blue cheese. Blue-cheese haters, fear not; you can substitute another variety just as long as it's pronouncedly stinky. All those gentle, caramelized flavors need something strident to perk them up.Although this tart is best served warm within an hour or two of baking, you can make it in the morning and serve it the same night (reheat it in a 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes). But don't leave it longer than that. By the next morning, both the apples and the crust will have wilted into a sad and rather tired state. Or freeze the unbaked tart, then pop it into the oven while it's still frozen. (It will need an extra 20 to 30 minutes.)To serve this at a big party, cut the tart into bite-size squares for easy consumption. For a smaller group, serve it like focaccia alongside grilled sausages or baked ham. Its amenable nature means that it will fit in well with practically any holiday meal in an elegant and unexpected way. Which is a lot more than you can say about cheese and crackers.Roasted apple, shallot and blue cheese tart
Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 12 servings1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)5 grams sugar (1 teaspoon)150 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups), more as needed55 grams whole-wheat flour (1/2 cup)60 grams fine cornmeal (1/2 cup)10 grams fine sea salt (2 1/4 teaspoons), more as needed1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed1 3/4 pounds apples, cored, quartered and sliced 1/4-inch thick3/4 pound shallots, peeled, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed5 thyme branches3/4 cup finely crumbled blue cheeseFlaky sea salt1. Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.2. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, cornmeal and 8 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) salt. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; stir in yeast mixture and 1/3 cup oil until mixture is combined. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes. Or, knead in a mixer or food processor fit with the dough blade for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature until dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.3. While dough rises, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, shallots, 1/4 cup oil, 2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt, the black pepper and thyme. Spread onto two large baking sheets. Roast, tossing occasionally, until mixture is tender and golden, about 30 minutes.4. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet. Punch down dough and transfer to baking sheet. Using a rolling pin or your fingers, roll or stretch dough to make an even layer about 3/16-inch thick. Scatter apple-shallot mixture over crust. Scatter cheese on top. Drizzle with oil and season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Transfer pan to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is just melted, 17 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.Note: Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Yield: 12 servings
© 2013 New York Times News Service
As for the topping, it's a comforting, mellow jumble of sweet roasted apples and shallots that's scented with thyme and zipped up with pungent blue cheese. Blue-cheese haters, fear not; you can substitute another variety just as long as it's pronouncedly stinky. All those gentle, caramelized flavors need something strident to perk them up.Although this tart is best served warm within an hour or two of baking, you can make it in the morning and serve it the same night (reheat it in a 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes). But don't leave it longer than that. By the next morning, both the apples and the crust will have wilted into a sad and rather tired state. Or freeze the unbaked tart, then pop it into the oven while it's still frozen. (It will need an extra 20 to 30 minutes.)To serve this at a big party, cut the tart into bite-size squares for easy consumption. For a smaller group, serve it like focaccia alongside grilled sausages or baked ham. Its amenable nature means that it will fit in well with practically any holiday meal in an elegant and unexpected way. Which is a lot more than you can say about cheese and crackers.Roasted apple, shallot and blue cheese tart
Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 12 servings1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)5 grams sugar (1 teaspoon)150 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/2 cups), more as needed55 grams whole-wheat flour (1/2 cup)60 grams fine cornmeal (1/2 cup)10 grams fine sea salt (2 1/4 teaspoons), more as needed1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed1 3/4 pounds apples, cored, quartered and sliced 1/4-inch thick3/4 pound shallots, peeled, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed5 thyme branches3/4 cup finely crumbled blue cheeseFlaky sea salt1. Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water. Let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.2. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, cornmeal and 8 grams (1 3/4 teaspoons) salt. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; stir in yeast mixture and 1/3 cup oil until mixture is combined. If the dough seems dry, add a little more water. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 to 10 minutes. Or, knead in a mixer or food processor fit with the dough blade for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature until dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.3. While dough rises, heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together apples, shallots, 1/4 cup oil, 2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt, the black pepper and thyme. Spread onto two large baking sheets. Roast, tossing occasionally, until mixture is tender and golden, about 30 minutes.4. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet. Punch down dough and transfer to baking sheet. Using a rolling pin or your fingers, roll or stretch dough to make an even layer about 3/16-inch thick. Scatter apple-shallot mixture over crust. Scatter cheese on top. Drizzle with oil and season with flaky sea salt and black pepper. Transfer pan to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is just melted, 17 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.Note: Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Yield: 12 servings
© 2013 New York Times News Service
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