Lemon Olive Oil Tart with Almond Merengue
Lemon just screams summer, doesn’t it? It takes me back to quenching my thirst with a tall glass of fresh squeezed lemonade on a hot summer day. It was also my strange food craving when I was pregnant with my second son. I couldn’t go anywhere without lemonade! While we haven’t quite reached summer yet, the temperatures are starting to feel like it.
When I went to Napa a few years ago, I had no idea that they grew olives right where they grew the grapes. I tasted a few different olive oils right at the vineyards and it was such a different yet educational experience. That olive oil was SO good! Here I was thinking Napa was all going to be about wine. It was a nice surprise.
I cook with olive oil everyday and often combine it with lemons for a Mediterranean or Spanish dish. I also love simple fresh seafood right off the grill with a lemon, garlic, parsley and olive oil drizzle. It is so bright and fresh! Combing the two as a dessert gives it a modern twist to a lemon bar or simple lemon tart. This zesty recipe uses almond biscotti cookies for the crust and an almond flavored merengue. I love the way the flavors of almonds and lemons merry together. When I tasted this tart, my mind was playing tricks on me. On one note, it was light and refreshing and yet the other side was bold and powerful. The merengue softened out the tartness of the lemons and the strong flavor of the olive oil. The almond cookie crust was a nice crunchy contrast in texture from the creamy lemon filling, giving each bite a balanced feel. Now when I take a bite of this easy to make tart, I think about a bright sunny afternoon, the olive trees in Napa and the burning sensation from the lemon juice hitting the papercut on my hand while squeezing the lemons for this recipe. Happy almost summer!
Cheers!
-Chef Christy
The full recipe can be found here!
