Pear and Walnut Crema Tart

Do you ever have something so good that you want to grab everyone you know and tell them "TRY THIS!"? That is how I feel about A-16's walnut crema. Its delicious nutty and rich, with a texture that is similar to hummus. Also like hummus, it is a healthier to satisfy your craving for something creamy and flavorful. And it can be whipped up in practically no time, and stores well in a sealed bottle in a refrigerator. I also have to tell you that you can eat it in a variety of ways - the original recipe calls for the crema to be topped with roasted asparagus and a truffle-spiked sheep's milk - I had mine with haricots vert and slathered onto a slice of levain, and I plan on using it in some sort of pasta dish. I even saved some of it for this pear tart that I have been dreaming of.

Walnut Crema
Adapted from A-16 Food + Wine
salt
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
1 very small garlic clove, minced finely
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add walnuts and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the walnuts are tender through. Reserve 3 tbsp of walnut-water, and drain the walnuts.
In a saute pan, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Add shallot and garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook until golden brown and tender - about 5 minutes.
Combine the shallot mixture, walnuts, and reserved walnut-water in a food processor, and grind until the consistency is similar to that of hummus. Slowly add the 2 tbsp of olive oil.


The tart is a little different than my usual recipe - it can be eaten for dinner with a salad of arugula lightly dressed with some lemony olive oil, or it can be consumed as a sweet - maybe with a lightly sweetened whipped creme fraiche. I had it for lunch with a few little slivers of blue cheese. Also, if you use a a strong vegan cheese and shortening-based pastry crust rather than this buttery one, you can probably adapt it to a vegan diet.
Pear + Walnut Crema Tart
1 all-butter pastry (see HERE the recipe for a 10-inch crust)
Walnut Crema (best if you make it the night before so the flavors grow stronger - recipe above)
2 tbsp of mascarpone/cream cheese
2 large bosc or Warren pears, cored and thinly sliced
4-5 large sprigs of lemon thyme
3-5 walnut halves, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp of honey for drizzling
2 tbsp of crumbled blue cheese
Preheat oven or broiler to high setting.
Prepare pastry crust. On the warm crust, spread the walnut crema as evenly as possible. Break off small bits (about 1/4 flattened pieces) of the mascarpone/cream cheese with your fingers and distribute over the crust.
Starting at the edge of the tart, arrange the pear slices in a circular pattern, making the pear slices overlap slightly. Make sure the slices completely cover the crust. Sprinkle with lemon thyme leaves and chopped walnuts, and drizzle honey over the pear slices. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until pear slices have turned golden-brown. Remove from oven/broiler, and top with blue cheese crumbles while tart is still hot. Allow to cool for 10+ minutes prior to slicing and serving.