Lemon Tart with Almond Crust -- The Season Is Beginning

Spring equinox. The calving rush is past its peak — sixteen calves on the ground, the last six coming easy as the season winds down. We'll have a few more in the next two weeks but the intensity is done. I slept seven hours straight Thursday night for the first time in three weeks and woke up in the full daylight of the longer morning and didn't recognize where I was for a moment. That disorientation lasts about three seconds and then you remember, and the remembering is itself a small pleasure — you know where you are, you know what's here, you know what you need to do today.

Tom Whelan had a good week — he's been using the cane consistently and the hip has resolved. He came over for dinner twice and read me two new sections from the mule book. The writing is finding its form now, which is what happens when you've been working on a subject long enough that the material begins to organize itself. The mules are more philosophical than the horses in his writing — he has a theory about mules, which is that they possess better judgment than horses and more honestly express their opinions about their handlers. The theory is well-supported by the anecdotes.

Linda Owens sent a spring note — not a letter, more of a postcard, a photograph of her garden already starting in Kansas. They get spring two months before we do. She wrote three sentences: Garden is on. Margaret planted sweet peas. Thinking of you. That's a complete communication. Three sentences from a woman in Kansas who chose not to be defined by her grief, thinking of a man in Montana who is still trying to do the same thing. I put the postcard above the workbench.

Made a spring tart with asparagus and goat cheese on Sunday, the cold frame asparagus finally ready. The season is beginning.

Sunday’s asparagus and goat cheese tart was the savory version of what I was feeling — something pulled fresh from the ground, simple and direct. But after the calving push and seven hours of sleep and Linda’s three sentences from Kansas, I wanted something that matched the light coming back into the mornings: bright, clean, a little sharp. A lemon tart with an almond crust is exactly that. It doesn’t apologize for being what it is, and neither does spring.

Lemon Tart with Almond Crust

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr (plus 2 hrs chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• Almond Crust:
• 1 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1–2 tablespoons cold water
• Lemon Filling:
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Pinch of salt
• Powdered sugar or fresh berries, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the crust. Combine almond flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Work in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon cold water, mixing just until the dough comes together. Add the second tablespoon of water only if needed.
2. Press and chill. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, covering the bottom and sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Blind bake the crust. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the chilled crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake another 8–10 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool slightly.
4. Make the filling. Whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, heavy cream, and salt until smooth and well combined.
5. Bake the tart. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Pour the lemon filling into the par-baked crust. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the filling is just set at the edges but still has a slight wobble in the center.
6. Cool and chill. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar or top with fresh berries before serving if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg