Ratatouille Tart and Cold Melon Soup

Not only are these two recipes healthy and delicious they are also beautiful, seriously consider making one the next time you have company coming over for dinner. I also found that the Ratatouille Tart would make a good brunch item. 

Ratatouille Tart
adapted from Cuisine at Home
August 2009

Dough (recipe follows)

1 yellow squash
1 large zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1/4 red onion
3/4 c shredded firm chevre (goat cheese)
2 Tbs thinly sliced fresh basil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

For the dough: Pulse 1 1/2 c all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp each of table salt and black pepper in
a food processor. Add 6 Tbs of cold, diced unsalted butter and 3 Tbs cold diced shortening; pulse
until pieces of butter and shortening are the size of peas. Add 3 Tbs ice water; pulse to combine.
Shape dough into a flat disk. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roll dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Fit dough into a 9-inch tart pan. Press dough into edges and trim excess. Cover dough with foil and fill with dried beans. Bake until crust feels dry, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake shell for another 5 minutes, until light brown. Let crust cool to room temperature.

Using a mandoline, or the slicer blade of a food processor, slice squash, zucchini, and bell pepper into rounds, and the onion into half-rounds. Sprinkle chevre and basil over the bottom of the tart shell. Arrange vegetables around the edge of the shell, repeatedly overlapping two slices of squash, two slices of zucchini, a slice of bell pepper, and three slices of onion (or whatever combination you wish). Arrange a smaller circle inside the first. Use squash slices to cover the center.

Drizzle tart with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tart is golden brown around the edges, about 35 minutes.

Melon Soup

Melon soup usually is associated with Thailand, although it's also popular in Bali and on other Indonesian islands. Light coconut milk lowers the fat content of this version and keeps the soup from separating.

Makes 4 servings (about 7 cups)
Total time: 30 minutes

For the Soup:
3 cups diced seedless watermelon
3 cups diced cantaloupe
3 cups honeydew melon
1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh gingerroot
1-2 tsp siracha or chili garlic sauce
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Blend sliced melon, coconut milk, 1/4 cup lime juice, sugar and gingerroot for soup in a blender until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Transfer soup to a large bowl.

Whisk siracha into soup until combined; season to taste.