We can’t seem to get enough of California. It was just last month that we were at San Diego and Los Angeles and this time it was SFO. We were there to visit our friends and it was so much fun. The weather was perfect. It had the hustle and bustle of New york and the quaint beach lifestyle of Florida. We instantly fell in love with the city. Our friends were excellent hosts and took us around the city.

We visited the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, SFO Downtown, Pier 39,Union Square, beautiful drive across the Bay and much more. The highlight of the trip was shopping at Daiso a Japanese shop where you get household, kitchenware, utensils, stationary / gift bags, travel containers , tiny props etc. Daiso has the best price to fulfill impulsive buys; almost everything is $1.50 unless otherwise indicated. I got carried away and picked up props for food photography. This is definitely the one stop shop for all food props. They don’t seem to have any other outlets in the Midwest, the only options is to shop online. I was lazy enough to put all the things together for the below photograph…just a few for your eyes:)

Coming to the recipe, I baked this Tart last week when we were craving for something Savory. It is easy to make and is very filling too. The secret to a good crust is to have everything cold and to handle as little as possible.

I had some filling left over and used it for quesadillas the next day. I also didn’t need the entire dough, so with the remaining I made an upside down tart,recipe to follow shortly:)

CARMELIZED ONION TART

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
12 tablespoon (1 1/2 sticks) butter( chopped into small pieces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup+ 2 tablespoon water

Nut Filling

1/2 cup almonds
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoon olive oil

Onion Filling:

2 large onions ( sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
a teaspoon chili flakes/chili powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
a tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
salt as per taste
a teaspoon balsamic vinegar( optional)

sliced tomatoes for decoration

Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until it forms a coarse meal. With the motor running drizzle water little by little( a tablespoon at a time, as you might not need all of the water) until the mixture begins to hold together. You will end up with a soft ball. If you think the dough is too sticky, add little more flour and knead using your fingers. Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap in a plastic wrap; refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile get started with the filling.

For the Nut filling pulse walnuts and garlic in a food processor. With the machine running, add the olive oil and run until the mixture is finely chopped. Set aside.

For the Onion Filling - Heat oil in a wok. Saute the onions until golden brown. Add the chili powder,salt and sugar. Continue to cook and scrape until the onions richly browned and caramelized.Now at the end if you wish add the balsamic vinegar or wine( if you like) to de-glaze your pan and bring in some additional flavors to the onions. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 16 by 8 inch rectangle. Fit this dough into a 14 by 5 inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the excess dough from all the sides. Pierce all over the bottom with a fork . Refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven at 375F. We have to blind bake the tart shell - Line the Tart shell with a parchment and fill it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust begins to brown. Remove the pie weights and parchment, bake the tart shell for 10 minutes more. The shell must be golden brown. Allow it to cool.

Spread the nut filling all over the shell. Bake for 2-3 minutes. Now top it with the caramelized onions and finally bake for another 15-20 minutes. If you feel the crust is browning fast, cover it loosely with an aluminium foil and bake. Once done, decorate with sliced tomatoes and cilantro. Serve warm.

Tarts are easy to bake, if you’ve mastered the art then there is so many recipes you can come up with.There are endless ideas for the filling. You may just whip up some cream, fill the baked shell, decorate with fruits or whip mascarpone cheese and mango puree, or use vegetables such as Zuchini,Beets, Squash and ofcourse cheese.

Bon Appetit!

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