Longtime TABLE contributor Quelcy Kogel has strong feelings about pie. And she’d like to empower you in the same direction, all day long, with pie for every meal. Here’s her lunch recommendation, but please enjoy the full menu for breakfast, dinner and dessert, as well!

Pie is a complicated summer muse. She graces us with the most pleasure when the gardens and trees bear the sweetest, juiciest fruits, but she demands the coldest of butter, the chill of a marble surface, and the lightest of touches. 

In a spirit of devotion, I offer you pies for a full day of summer supplication. These are labors of love. They’re not instantly gratifying (with the exception of one cheat). Pies require careful scheduling to allow for a proper chilling of the crust. Typical instructions are wrought with a long list of stressful don’ts – don’t add too much water, don’t overwork the dough, don’t let the butter warm. Don’t lose your damn mind when the flour and butter refuse to form a ball!

Try these delicious and sanity-instilling Everything Bagel Tomato Tartelettes for lunch, a picnic, sliced into small bites to go with cocktails…or have a few all to yourself for dinner.

Everything Bagel Tomato Tartelettes

 Ingredients

Crust

1 cup white whole wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole grain millet flour

1/2 tsp. sea salt

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and sliced

1 egg, lightly beaten 

1 to 2 tbsp. vodka, chilled

4 to 5 tbsp. water, chilled

Filling

8 oz. goat cheese

2 egg yolks

1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)

⅓ cup chopped dill

Zest of 1 lemon

4 vine-ripened tomatoes or a variety of heirloom tomatoes

Topping

1 egg, beaten 

Everything Bagel Seasoning, to taste 

Garnish

Balsamic reduction

Capers

Fresh dill

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the top, and work with a pastry blender, or your fingers, to combine, until the mixture resembles gravel, with lots of butter chunks the size of large peas.

Add the lightly beaten egg, and stir into flour mixture with a wooden spoon. Drizzle the vodka into the flour mixture, then the water, 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing the dough with a rubber spatula to moisten evenly. Add just enough liquid for the dough to hold together when you give it a squeeze, and add it directly to the dry floury bits that like to hang out on the bottom of the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic or beeswax wrap, and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to firm. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. 

Combine the goat cheese, egg yolks, green onions and dill in a food processor, and pulse until smooth. Keep chilled until ready to use. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the dough from the fridge, and use a bench scraper or a sharp knife to divide the dough evenly into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, being careful not to overwork the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6- to 7-inch circle.

Spoon 1 to 2 tbsp. of the filling into the center of the circle. Spread the filling into an even layer, leaving a one-inch border.

Arrange three tomato slices, or an array of cherry tomatoes, evenly over the center of the filling. Fold the dough over the tomatoes in a free-form fashion, pleating the overlaps. 

Brush the outer crust with a generous coating of the beaten egg wash, and sprinkle with the Everything Bagel Seasoning. 

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool before serving. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction, a spoonful of capers, and a sprig of fresh dill. Enjoy!

Yield: 6 tartelettes

STORY, PHOTOGRAPHY and STYLING BY QUELCY KOGEL

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