A perfect summer dinner...Flamiche

Summer dinners should be light, fresh and made with summer fruits and vegetables. During my first years of my marriage, my husband and I were invited to a dinner at a business associate's home. His wife was French and she made this amazing French tart with a simple salad and dijon dressing. It was a perfect, simple dinner for summer. A French tart is similar to a quiche but not as eggy. It is usually made with sautéed vegetables and some bacon, lardon or pancetta for flavor. You use a 2-3 eggs whisked with creme fraiche (or heavy cream if you don't have creme fraiche), salt, pepper and nutmeg. I usually make a basic pate brisee crust but you can also put this on a basic white dough bread for a Flamiche. It's like a quiche pizza. You make the basic white dough (it is the same as a basic baguette dough). Then you press out the dough and stretch to fit a half sheet pan (I usually put parchment below). I crimp the edges to create a little lift along the edges, add the sautéed vegetables and crispy chopped bacon and cover with the whisked eggs and creme fraiche. Bake at 400F and you have a wonderful light summer dinner. Add fresh salad greens, tomatoes and make a light dijon dressing - whisk together dijon with good quality olive oil, salt and pepper. Dress your salad and serve. A fruit crisp or tart for dessert would be a great finish to this summer meal. Feel free to email me for the exact recipe. Bon Appetite!

-Robin