Recipes Desserts Tarts Lemon Verbena Tart with Cape Gooseberry Compote Be the first to rate & review! Mary Dumont picks the lemon verbena for this fabulous, puckery tart from her kitchen garden, just outside her restaurant's back door. The cape gooseberries grow in the yard all summer long. More Pie and Tart Recipes By Mary Dumont Mary Dumont Why she won Because she prepares beautifully intricate dishes using products from her historic New England region and her huge kitchen garden.Born Lowell, Massachusetts; 1974.Experience Jardinière, Campton Place and Elisabeth Daniel, all in San Francisco; Blackbird in Chicago; Sonoma Saveurs in Sonoma, California.How she got started "My family is in the business. My parents had a restaurant, my brother's a chef, my other brother runs a restaurant, my sister owns a restaurant. I wasn't going to cook—I went to Simmons College in Boston for creative writing. Still, look where I ended up."What she loves about her restaurant That it's part of Strawberry Banke, a historical museum with gardens full of heirloom vegetables. "I see varieties that have historical significance. And there's no genetically modified basil."What she loves about Portsmouth "I can stand at the stove and look out one window and see the Atlantic Ocean and look out the other window and see my garden."Next project An after-school program for local kids, who will work in the garden and keep a photo journal. WEB EXCLUSIVE! Read more of our interview with Mary Dumont Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 24, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Tina Rupp Active Time: 1 hrs Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Yield: Makes one 10 1/2-inch tart Ingredients Pastry 2 cups cake flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup toasted, skinned hazelnuts, finely ground 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon Finely grated zest of 1/2 orange Lemon Curd Filling 4 extra-large egg yolks 3 extra-large eggs 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup dried lemon verbena leaves or 6 fresh lemon verbena leaves 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons Salt Compote and Garnish 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 3 pints cape gooseberries 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh lemon verbena, for serving Directions In a medium bowl, stir the cake flour with the cinnamon and ground hazelnuts. In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, then beat in the vanilla and lemon and orange zests. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches until almost incorporated. With a rubber spatula, stir the pastry until thoroughly combined. Divide the pastry in half, pat into 2 disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate one disk for 1 hour, until firm. Freeze the other disk for another use. Preheat the oven to 325°. Roll out the chilled pastry between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap to a 12-inch round. Chill until firm. Unwrap the pastry and press it into the bottom and up the side of a 10 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm. Line the pastry with foil and fill the pan with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the pastry for about 45 minutes, until browned around the edges. Remove the foil and weights and bake the tart shell for about 25 minutes longer, until crisp on the bottom. Transfer to a rack and let cool. In a large, heavy saucepan, whisk the egg yolks and whole eggs with the sugar, lemon juice and lemon verbena leaves. Cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until hot and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until blended. Add a pinch of salt. Strain the curd through a sieve set over a bowl. Pour the curd into the tart shell and smooth the surface. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, orange juice, Cointreau and vanilla seeds and bring to a boil. Add the gooseberries and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring gently, until the berries are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pepper and let cool to room temperature. Cut the tart into wedges. Spoon the cape gooseberry compote around the tart. Serve with whipped cream and lemon verbena. Make Ahead The tart and compote can be refrigerated overnight. Rate it Print