Parmesan Mushroom Tartlets

Late July, and Carrie is packing for Athens — the packing that has become familiar now, the annual packing of a daughter who has been packing for somewhere since she was eighteen: Emory, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Emory again, and now Athens. The packing is the rhythm. The rhythm is the leaving. And the leaving is the life that Carrie has chosen, the life of a woman who goes where the teaching takes her.

She packed the Parsonage Kitchen journal. She packed the cedar recipe box. She packed the Japanese knives. The three objects are the three parts of Carrie's culinary identity: the Southern recipes (journal), the grandmother's love (cedar box), the Japanese precision (knives). The three parts are the whole. And the whole is Carrie.

I did not cry when she left for Athens. The not-crying was the practice — ten years of departures, ten years of the kitchen-as-strategy, ten years of standing at the stove when the car pulls away. The practice has made the not-crying not painless but manageable, the way practice makes a roux not effortless but automatic, the hands knowing what to do even when the heart does not.

I made she-crab soup the evening Carrie left. The soup was for Robert and me. The two of us. The default. The resting state. The marriage.

I had planned the she-crab soup for the departure evening, but the store was low on crab and I was low on patience, and so I made these instead — Parmesan mushroom tartlets, small and savory and just complicated enough to keep my hands busy while the car backed out of the driveway. Robert and I ate them at the kitchen table without ceremony, and that was exactly right. Two people. A plate between them. The default, and the grace in it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 12 tartlets

Ingredients

1 package (14.1 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup mini muffin tin. Unroll the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface and use a 3-inch round cutter to cut 12 circles. Press each circle gently into the muffin cups, letting the edges ruffle slightly. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Cook the mushrooms. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add the chopped mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid and that liquid evaporates, about 8–10 minutes. Add the sherry and cook another 1–2 minutes until absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Make the filling. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, Parmesan, egg yolk, and heavy cream until smooth. Fold in the cooled mushroom mixture until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Fill and top. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into each prepared tartlet shell. Sprinkle the tops with a small pinch of additional Parmesan.
Bake. Bake 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is set and lightly browned at the edges. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing.
Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving plate and scatter with fresh parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Parmesan Mushroom Tartlets — What You Make When the House Goes Quiet