Sour Start

My friend, Jim Sartain, whom I have never met, by the way, sent me via Cousin Jan a little container of sourdough starter. I may not know him by sight but anyone who gives you sourdough starter - twice! - is a friend in my book. Because he had done this once before and I killed it with neglect, this time I was determined to erase that sour start by trying new things with it and keeping it alive for a little while at least.

So, when pondering what to contribute to pal Sari's cheese party, I thought of that sourdough starter and decided to try Tarte Flambée made with a crust of sourdough pizza.

In addition to the sourdough crust, I tweaked my recipe a little, dotting the crust with goat cheese after brushing it with olive oil, and topping that with pre-sautéed pancetta lardons and pre-caramelized onions. I heated my new pizza stone in the oven and slid in my masterpiece once the stone was hot.

The tarte baked to crusty, tangy-sweet, oniony, meaty perfection in less than 10 minutes. It even got a little blistery around the edges, and that may just be my favorite part. I let it cool on the counter for about half an hour while I showered and changed for the party, then transported it right on the pizza stone, which kept it warm on the trip to Sari's.

At the party, I cut it into small wedges, which disappeared in a twinkling. I may have had a sour start to working with sourdough but it's all sweetness and light now.

Thanks, Jim!