CROSTATA WITH WALNUTS, FIGS & CHEESE

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 t. salt
½ cup pecans or walnuts
½ lemon, grated zest & 2 T. juice
8 T. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg

DOUGH:

Mix flour, sugar, salt, nuts, & lemon zest at low speed in a mixer or food processor Add butter & continue mixing or pulsing at low speed until mixture is coarse.

Add egg & lemon juice. Mix or pulse just until mixture comes together. Form into a ball or flat 6”disc, wrap with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 30-60 min. or freeze 10-15 min, just until firm enough to pat into pan or roll out.

Preheat oven to 350o .

On parchment paper, roll chilled dough out to a rough 8”circle. Dough may seem crumbly but you can push it back together & make patches. Transfer dough shell with parchment paper to an 8” or larger sheet pan. Fold up outer ½” of pastry to form a "rustic" edge to tart.

FILLING:
6-8 oz. mild soft cheese (low fat ricotta, gorgonzola, mascarpone, goat)

14 ripe fresh figs (black or green), washed & cut in half lengthwise

2 T. honey
Optional: 1 T. balsamic vinegar

Cover tart shell with cheese.
Arrange fig halves in concentric circles over cheese.
Drizzle figs with honey & vinegar.

Bake about 20-25 minutes, or until underside of tart crust is browned.

Additional notes about my adapted fig tart--Crostata with Walnuts, Figs & Cheese:

Flour: I used whole wheat pastry flour. (I almost never use white flour--for anything.)

Cheese: I used low fat ricotta. Adjust the amount of cheese, according to the type you use.

Figs: I increased the number of figs to totally cover the top of the tart.

Vinegar: LA Times recipe had a glaze which included balsamic vinegar. I didn't use the vinegar in my tart, but thought a little balsamic might be nice drizzled over the top.

Nuts: LA Times recipe put nuts into the tart shell, so did I. Kate put walnuts on top of her tart.

I baked my tart in my toaster oven at 350o .

Play with this recipe! Have fun! I did !

Charity

What! No picture????

Sounds divine, Charity. Next door to our office is a vacant house belonging to friends. They have left me a pear tree laden with fruit and figs a plenty. Despite pre-trip starvation to fit into teeny coach seat , I may have to succumb to temptation and make your crostata.

Sorry about no picture . I still live in the dark ages without a digital camera. The convenience would be nice for posting pictures like this.

The crust is almost a cookie! I think I'll use this recipe a lot and play with the cheese and fruit toppings.

Charity