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When I was at cooking school in France in 1972 (yes, I’m that old!), I first encountered wild mushrooms—morel and chanterelle were most memorable. I returned to the US and to my dismay not even button mushrooms were available at many supermarkets. Things have changed! Now, all sorts of exotic and wild mushrooms are readily available—even at mainstream grocery stores. This tart was inspired by a selection I got at our local farmer’s market. I used a vegan, gluten free dough (though full gluten, whole butter crust works great too) and if you want a completely vegan tart, you can substitute potato flour for the egg.

A selection of wild mushrooms I found at the Boulder Farmer’s Market in mid August. The huge white lion’s mane in the upper left of this image added a rich chewy texture to the tart. That was complimented by chanterelles, the delicate yellow oyster, and the firm textured shiitakes. You can see that since they’d been refrigerated together in a brown paper bag for a few days before I got around to taking the photo and using them for the tart, bits had broken off of some of the more delicate mushrooms. But they were still super fresh, smelled sweet and tasted remarkable! Never use mushrooms that smell strongly or are beginning to get slimy.

Yields – 6-8 Servings

Prep Time – 45 Minutes

Ingredients

• GF pastry dough (below)
• 1 1/4 pound fresh wild mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped chervil or parsley
• 2 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (or use 2-3 tablespoons potato flour )
• 1 tablespoon Grey Poupon mustard
• 1/2 cup grated vegan or cow’s milk mozzarella cheese

Gluten-free Pastry Dough

• 1 cup GF flour mix
• Extra flour for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons firm, cold vegan butter
• 4-5 tablespoons iced water

Slices of tart may be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, place on a baking sheet and warm in a 375 degree F. oven or toaster oven. When warmed through, flip upside down and turn heat to broil. Return the tart to the oven to crisp the bottom crust if desired. Slices may also be frozen individually for up to 2 months.

Chilled GF pastry dough, ready to roll.

Instructions

Step 1

Prepare the pastry dough and chill for at least 2 hours.

Step 2

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly with a soft brush and set them aside. If mushrooms are very dirty, brush, then rinse very quickly under cold water. Shake off extra water and place on the counter, spaced well apart, on a clean kitchen towel to dry completely. Once dry, trim and discard any tough parts, then slice the mushrooms.

Step 3

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shallots and toss to coat with oil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften.

Step 4

Add the mushrooms, again increasing the flame and tossing the mushrooms to coat with oil, before turning down the heat.

Step 5

Add the garlic, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are very soft and most of the juice that is has disappeared.

Step 6

Stir in the chervil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Set aside in a bowl.

Step 7

Roll the dough on a lightly floured countertop into a round that is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the tart pan (or use a pie plate). Trim extra dough from the top and pinch to fit the mold.

Step 8

Chill the raw tart until firm, at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 9

Pierce the bottom of the tart shell with with a fork. Line with parchment and weight down with dried beans. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven until the sides are very lightly browned. Remove the parchment and beans, then return the shell to bake for another 8 minutes, or until the bottom has just begun to color. Remove from the oven.

Step 10

Brush the inside of the tart shell with mustard.

Step 11

Mix the egg (or potato flour) into the mushroom mixture. Fill the tart shell and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in the lower middle of the oven for about 30 minutes until the filling has firmed and cheese is melted.

Step 12

Remove from oven and cool briefly before removing the tart mold and slicing. Serve warm.

NOTE: GF dough can be difficult to work with, depending on what mix you use. It is gluten in wheat flour that gives traditional pastry dough it’s texture and makes it easy to roll. Don’t fret if your dough tears while you’re transferring it to the mold. Just patch and pinch the new edges together. Then proceed as directed. Nobody will know!

For the Pastry Dough

Step 1

In a small mixing bowl, combine the GF flour with the salt.

Step 2

Cut the “butter” into small pieces, dropping them into the four.

Step 3

Working quickly and using your fingertips rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles dry oatmeal.

Step 4

Gradually stir in the cold water, until it forms a ball. Dust with flour, wrap in parchment and chill for at least 2 hours. May be frozen for up to 3 months.