Did you know that you can use a cooked potato to make the crust of a tart? I love playing with textures, and discover new possibilities. Making tart shells is fun and it makes a beautiful appetizer!
Making the tart shells
This part took a little trial and error to get it right. All tasted great but some batches took longer to get the right shape and hold together as a tart than others. So here are a few recommendations:
Tip 1: it is better to overcook than undercook the potatoes! If you don’t cook them enough, it will a little more difficult to create the shape of a tart because you will have to deal with little unruly chunks. It is feasible but very much like making short pastry crust, you may have to patch pieces until you get the sides up. I am all for shortcuts so you have been warned!
Tip 2: Use a small and shallow muffin tin (dimensions:ย ย ). It works great for making an appetizer and a larger one that makes well a larger tart! Both work fine.
Tip 3: Use a muffin tin and a small glass or object that fits inside to help creating the shape. Start pressing the potato with the palm of your hand, then place it in the muffin cup. Flatten the potato.
If you look closely, you can see a chunk of potato to the right of my finger that looks a little firm. This was the batch of slightly undercooked potatoes. I used a knife to test but should have cooked them for a few more minutes. You can also see that the walls are a thinner than they should be requiring some patching!
Then use a small glass (a shot glass works great) to press down and form the shell. A combination of push and twist usually does the job. You can spray a little oil on the glass or just wet it to make a clean indent.
Tip 3: Always spray some oil at the bottom of the muffin cup. I forgot to do it on my first batch and had a hard time getting the bottom to crisp and to easily scoop it out of the cup. You can spray or use a brush.
Fillings
This is a fun part because there are so many options. In this recipe I used vegan cream cheese and vegan feta as a base and added fresh and dried spices. You can make a spread with tofu and do the same.
We have an abundance of greens in our garden this time of year. 3 types of kale, Swiss chard, broccoli leaves, Bok choi and more. When I have so much greens I like to cook them down with a few tablespoons of broth, and a little lemon juice (to release the iron). You start with a mountain of leafy greens and you end up with a few cups of cooked greens. A nice thing to do is blend the greens to break down the fiber and turn them into a creamy spread that will make the perfect filling for these tarts. It is a great way to eat your greens without having to chew all the fiber.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a vegetable garden, you can buy frozen spinach and it will do the trick.
You can also play with toppings like pickled onions, sundried tomato strips, capers… Think flavor and color combinations and you will have an infinite palette of options!
Ready to make this?
Assortment of Potato Tartlets
Equipment
- muffin tin tray (mini, regular or jumbo)
Ingredients
- 6 peeled medium yellow potatoes
Filling
- 2 cups cooked leafy greens (like spinach)
- 2 cups vegan cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup vegan feta cheese
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
- 2 strips vegan bacon (Lightlive smart bacon)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Toppings
- Pickled red onions
- sundried tomato strips
- capers
Instructions
- Peel and cook the yellow potatoes until they are very tender. It should take anywhere from 12-15 minutes.
Prepare the green filling
- Blend 2 cups of cooked greens with 1 cup of vegan cream cheese, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
Prepare the cheese fillings
- Pan fried 2 strips of plant-based bacon until crisp. Set aside to cool down and crush into little pieces.
- Mix 1/2 cup of vegan feta cheese (like Violife), with 1 tbsp finely chopped chives or green onions, and pepper.
- In another small bowl, mix 1 cup of vegan cream cheese, smoked paprika, pinch of salt, and gently add the crushed faux bacon.
Make the shells
- When the potatoes are cool to the touch, start making the shells.
- Lightly spray the bottom and sides of your muffin tin.
- Cut in half large potatoes. Press with the palm of your hand. Add to the muffin cup.
- Using a shot glass (or something that would fit inside the cup) gently press and twist until you have a nice tart shape shell.
- Repeat with all the potatoes until the muffin tin is full.
- Bake at 375F for 35 minutes until the sides and bottom are crisp.
- Let them cool down a little before trying to scoop the shells out.
Assemble the tartlets
- Scoop some of the green filling and top with some red pickled onions.
- Scoop some bacon smoked cream cheese filling into the shells.
- Scoop some vegan feta spread and top with finely chopped chives.
