What’s In A Name?
After our rabbi friend’s name was bestowed upon the tarte below, as described in the narrative for this past week’s Berkshire Eagle column, our priest friend decided he wanted something named after him, too! He loves Nigella Lawson’s Guinness chocolate cake with my cheater’s coffee buttercream, so we now call that Gateau Richard! Still nothing eponymous for my husband, but when I figure out what recipe that will be, I will call it “Il Enrico!”
EPONYMOUS EATS
by Elizabeth Baer
Two rabbis and a priest walk into a bookstore… Sounds like the beginning of a joke, yes? One of our friend groups, in fact, does include two rabbis and an Episcopal priest, and this all happened because one of the rabbis and the priest ran into each other in front of the religion bookshelf at Matt Tannenbaum’s The Bookstore in Lenox!
The other rabbi, our dear friend, Robert, is not usually a big eater, and does not usually go back for seconds. Until one night, when he and his wife were at our house for dinner, and I served this tart. I knew it was something special when he asked for seconds, and ever since then I always make this dessert when he and his wife are at our house!
One time, a few days after such a dinner, the priest was covering for the Reverend at Trinity Church in Lenox, who was out of town for some reason that I don’t recall. Robert decided we should go and listen to our priest friend preach. The homily celebrated the abundance of fine and performing arts we can enjoy in the Berkshires, and talked about how a piece of art can make us feel a holy presence in the here and now. Our friend then asked everyone the congregation to think about a piece of art or a performance that reveals the divine spirit. Robert leaned over to me and whispered, “Your tart.” And from that moment on, this dessert has borne the name “Tarte Robert!”
LIME TART WITH BLUEBERRIES, aka TARTE ROBERT
Serves 8-12
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
5 ounces (approximately) graham crackers (one sleeve)
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar or pure maple syrup
Filling:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (if you want, save the whites in the freezer for meringue, pavlova, or financiers)
Zest and juice of one lime, plus additional lime juice if needed (fresh or store-bought) to equal ⅓ cup juice
Topping:
2¾ cups blueberries, divided
½ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a half sheet pan with foil in case of drips.
Make the graham cracker crust. Using a food processor, break down the graham crackers into crumbs. This will yield just under 1¼ cups of crumbs. Place the crumbs in a medium bowl with the coconut and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and sugar or maple syrup, and mix to moisten the crumb mixture fully. Pour out into 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Using your fingers (a gloved hand works well here) or a small glass, such as a shot glass, press the crust to an even thickness on the bottom and sides of the pan. (Presumably a pie plate will also work if you don’t have a tart pan, or a pre-made graham cracker crust, or a gluten-free graham cracker crust, but I’ve not tried any of these.) Place the tart pan on the prepared half sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly while mixing the filling.
Reduce the oven to 325°F. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, zest, and juice in a medium bowl and whisk to combine well. Pour the condensed milk mixture into the crust, and spread to cover the crust evenly. Bake for 20 minutes (still on the foil-lined half sheet pan). Remove from oven and leave to cool for 1-2 hours.
For the topping, place 2 cups of blueberries in a medium bowl. Combine the water, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ¾ cup blueberries and bring to a boil, stirring with a rubber spatula. Allow to boil for about a minute until the liquid has thickened and taken on color from the berries, and some of the berries have burst. Pour the thickened mixture over the 2 cups of berries and mix gently to combine. Pour the mixture over the filling in the tart and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly to the edges. Place in the refrigerator to chill fully before serving.