THE UPPER CRUST FILLED WITH FRUIT OR VEGGIES, TARTS OFFER FLAVORS TO SAVOR.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Take a bite of a flaky, buttery apple or nectarine galette or a savory tomato-basil or onion tart. Beautiful, delicious and so appealing.

Call them what you like - tarts or galettes. All start with a crust or pastry dough base that can be transformed into something wonderful with sweet or savory toppings. These pastry specialties can showcase a wide array of ingredients ranging from fresh fruits, chocolate, caramel and nuts to tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, leeks, basil, dill and much more.

Many are easy, rustic and free-form and can be turned out without much hassle; others are slightly fancier and more complex and require a bit more time and patience.

``The only givens ... are that tarts are short and shallow compared to pies, and that they are baked in fluted tart pans with removable bottoms,'' write Joseph Amendola and Nicole Rees in their book, ``Understanding Baking: The Art and Science of Baking.'' Doughs for tart shells - most often prebaked prior to filling - should be firm enough to hold the filling when removed from the pan.

``Galettes are possibly the oldest of all pastries; they can be traced back to the Neolithic period,'' writes Bo Friberg, author of ``The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef.'' Most often a galette is round and flat and made of flaky pastry dough.

``The most celebrated version is the Galette des Rois, a pastry (the same as a Pithiviers) served during the Twelfth Night Celebration in France,'' adds Friberg.

``Galettes are essentially rustic free-form pies,'' note Amendola and Rees. The edges of the dough are folded over a small amount of fruit filling (the fruit should not be overly juicy - apples, nectarines, etc. work well), leaving the center open. Because a galette has much less filling than a tart or pie, it can be baked quickly at a high temperature, write the authors.

Store-bought frozen puff pastry sheets (Pepperidge Farm), thawed, unfolded and rolled out, work well for galettes - and no prebaking is necessary. In some instances, cornstarch or flour and sugar are tossed with the sliced fruits prior to placing on the dough.

``The word galette is also used for many savory tarts topped with meat and cheese and for items such as fried potato cakes and certain pancakes,'' points out Friberg.

At Once Upon a Tart, a decade-old bakeshop and cafe in Manhattan's SoHo, sweet and savory tarts are menu mainstays. Founders and co-owners Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau view them as a meal-in-a-crust that can be picked up and eaten out of hand, without a knife and fork.

The duo share many of the establishment's specialties (tarts along with soups, salads, and other pastries) along with tips in their charming new cookbook ``Once Upon a Tart ...'' (Alfred A. Knopf; $27.50).

Buttery, flaky, fluted tart crusts lend themselves to all sorts of fillings, they write. ``Use your imagination.''

Among the many tempting recipes is Audureau's French grandmother's tomato tart. All kinds of flavor substitutions are feasible. Use shredded Swiss cheese instead of Gruyere or spread the crust with artichoke or olive paste (tapenade) rather than mustard. Try roasted zucchini slices (roast 15 to 20 minutes in a 400-degree oven) or caramelized onions in place of tomatoes.

Although Granny's tart doesn't contain custard, the shop uses a standard custard - based on a simple ratio of 1 large egg to 1/8 cup cream (light or heavy) - in all its savory tarts (to bind the vegetables), says Audureau. The amount needed will vary from tart to tart, depending on the amount of filling in the crust. ``You want the custard to come 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the top edge of the crust.''

The shop's sweet tarts emphasize the fruit and crust - none contains pastry cream.

For any kind of tart, use tart pans - either round, square or rectangular - with removable bottoms. That way, you won't risk breaking the crust.

There are many dough options. Add spices or fresh herbs like basil, dill or rosemary - or even onions or black olive paste. Audureau adds a little semolina flour to the dough to impart a slight crunch to the crust and yield a longer shelf life. If you plan to make your own dough, the key is to keep the ingredients cold and don't overwork them, stresses Audureau, a French native.

Although he doesn't make or sell galettes at the store, Audureau notes that they are a tad easier to make than tarts because you skip the pan dough-shaping step.

For galette bases, try puff pastry, pate brisee, filo dough or pie dough rolled out thin, where applicable.

If you want to become the king or queen of tarts or galettes, these ideas should help you get started.

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

SWEET ONION TART

This adaptation of an Alsatian onion tart is topped with onions that have been slowly simmered in butter until they're soft, golden and sweet.

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons cold butter OR margarine

7 to 8 tablespoons cold water

2 pounds sweet onions, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups milk

5 large eggs

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 

In a large bowl, with fork, stir together flour and 1 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissor-fashion, cut in shortening and 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture, mixing lightly with fork after each addition, until mixture is just moist enough to hold together. With hands, shape dough into ball.

On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle about 18x13 inches. Gently fold rectangle into into fourths and carefully center in ungreased 15 1/2x10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan; unfold. Lightly press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Trim dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and pinch to form decorative edge level with rim of pan. Wrap and refrigerate tart shell about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in deep 12-inch skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes until onions are golden. Remove from heat.

Line tart shell with foil; fill with pie weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice. Bake in preheated 425-degree oven 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, Parmesan, thyme, parsley, pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt until blended. Spread cooked onions evenly over baked tart shell. Pour egg mixture over onions. Bake 25 minutes or until egg mixture is set and tart is nicely browned. Serve hot. Or cool on wire rack; then wrap and refrigerate to serve cold later. Cut into 32 pieces. Makes 32 appetizers.

From ``Good Housekeeping Great Baking.''

APPLE GALETTE

This free-form puff pastry tart looks elegant and tastes great. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package)

3 medium Granny Smith apples

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Thaw pastry only 15 to 20 minutes; it should still be very cold. Peel, core and cut apples into 1/4- to 3/8-inch-thick slices.

With a rolling pin, roll puff pastry sheet out on an ungreased cookie sheet to an 11 1/2-inch square. Fold edges of pastry up 1/2 inch on all sides, pressing with your fingers to form a rim; pinch at the corners. Arrange apple slices in an attractive pattern over puff pastry square. Place butter in a small glass bowl or cup. Microwave on high power 20 to 30 seconds or until melted. Brush over apples. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over apple slices. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven 10 minutes or until edges of puff pastry are lightly brown. Cool a few minutes. Cut into 9 pieces and serve. Makes 9 servings.

From ``The 5 in 10 Dessert Cookbook,'' by Natalie Haughton.

GRANNY'S TOMATO TART

A traditional tomato tart in France does not contain custard. Jerome Audureau's grandmother makes this simple tart often in the summer in the south of France where she lives.

Roll out 1/2 recipe of Crunchy Savory Tart Crust (enough for one 9-inch tart crust) into a rectangular shape and fit into an 8x11-inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. Prick bottom of dough with tines of a fork. Bake crust in a preheated 400-degree oven with weights in it 10 to 15 minutes. Remove weights and bake another 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove crust from oven and cool to room temperature. Then spread bottom of crust with a thin layer of Dijon mustard. Add a thin layer of shredded Gruyere cheese over mustard.

Slice about 3 to 4 pounds plum tomatoes, place in a colander set in the sink to drain off any excess liquid. Arrange tomatoes in one layer, like rows of fallen dominoes (overlapping partially), down the length of the crust. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence (a mixed herb combination that may include basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme). Bake tart in a preheated 400-degree oven about 10 minutes (or longer), until tomatoes begin to shrivel and cheese melts. Makes 1 tart, about 4 to 6 servings.

FRANK'S TOMATO TART: Prepare recipe as above, but spread crust with basil pesto instead of mustard. Use shredded smoked mozzarella cheese in place of Gruyere and sprinkle tomatoes with chopped fresh basil or parsley instead of herbes de Provence.

From ``Once Upon a Tart ...'' by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau.

CRUNCHY SAVORY TART CRUST

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons semolina flour (available at Italian OR other specialty food markets) OR 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

3 tablespoons cold solid vegetable shortening

A glass of ice water

Position oven racks so that one is in center of oven. Combine flours and salt in bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add butter and shortening all at once and pulse, don't run processor, several times, until mixture forms little balls, like moist crumbs, and no chunks of butter or shortening remain.

Remove blade from food processor and dump dough crumbs into a big bowl. Fill a tablespoon with ice water and sprinkle over surface of dough. Repeat with 3 more tablespoonfuls. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to bring dough together into a ball, adding more water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. The dough should be just past crumbly, but holding together. You don't want it to be so wet that it sticks together or turns white in color.

Cut dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Press each with palm of hand to form a disk. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Roll out 1 disk of dough to 1/4-inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan (or other size as desired) and chill 30 minutes. Using tines of fork, price holes over bottom of crust. Line dough with parchment paper or foil, and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake tart shell on center rack in preheated 400-degree oven 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights from pan. Return to oven, and bake until the crust is golden brown and toasted all over, 5 more minutes for a par-baked tart shell. For a fully baked tart shell, bake another 5 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown all over. Remove tart shell from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes enough for 2 (9-inch) tart crusts.

From ``Once Upon a Tart ...'' by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau.

INDIVIDUAL FRUIT PUFF PASTRY GALETTES

4 to 6 large fresh nectarines OR plums OR a mixture

1 (17.3-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed 20 to 30 minutes

4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

Cut fruit into thin slices (about 1/4 inch thick); discard pits. Set aside. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface and place one pastry sheet on it (the new nonstick foil works well - no flour is necessary - and you can bake the galettes right on the same foil). With a rolling pin, roll out each pastry sheet to 9 1/2x12 inches, smoothing out folds as you roll.

Cut each sheet into quarters to make rectangles, each about 6x4 3/4 inches. Place quarters on an ungreased baking sheet (or nonstick foil). Place slices of fruit, overlapping, down center (entire length) of each rectangle. Fold in long edges of pastry just to come up to edges of fruit. Dot fruit with small butter pieces and sprinkle with sugar, dividing evenly. Bake in preheated 400 -degree oven about 15 to 17 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove and let stand 5 minutes before serving or serve at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Makes 8 galettes; 8 servings.

ZIPPY CHEESE GALETTE

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce box)

3/4 cup chunky salsa

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 30 minutes. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into a 14x10-inch rectangle and place on a baking sheet lined with nonstick foil. Prick with fork. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 10 minutes. Spread salsa evenly to within 1/2-inch of edges. Top with cheeses and sprinkle with olives. Bake 5 to 8 minutes longer or until golden and cheese melts. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

CHOCOLATE SILK TART

1 refrigerated 9-inch pie crust (from a 15-ounce package of Pillsbury crusts)

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips or 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut up

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

Remove pie crust from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Unfold crust and press out fold lines. Place crust in a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, easing crust into pan and pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Fold under the edge of the crust along the top edge of the pan so the crust is even with it. Pierce all over bottom and sides with a fork. Bake crust in preheated 450-degree oven 9 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.

Meanwhile, place chocolate in a small glass bowl. Microwave on high power 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until smooth and melted when stirred; let cool a few minutes. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until mixture is fluffy and smooth. Beat in melted chocolate until smooth and fluffy. Turn into cool tart crust, spreading evenly. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 to 2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

From ``The 5 in 10 Dessert Cookbook,'' by Natalie Haughton.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover - color) Tart replies

Sweet or savory, they're something special

From ``Once Upon a Tart...,'' Alfred A. Knopf

(2 -- color) SWEET ONION TART

From ``Good Housekeeping Great Baking,'' Hearst Books

(3 -- color) INDIVIDUAL FRUIT PUFF PASTRY GALETTES