This tart calls for the same procedures as the Tomato Tart (preceding recipe), with a different but equally summery—and, with its bit of curry powder, more unusual—topping.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 to 8 servings as a starter or snack

　　2 cups flour, plus more for rolling the dough

　　1 egg

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature

　　Extra virgin olive oil as needed

　　1/2 cup diced bacon

　　4 to 6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced or shredded

　　1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste

　　

Step 1

Follow steps 1 and 2 in the preceding recipe to make the crust.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; a minute later, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly but not completely browned; remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally and sprinkling with salt and pepper, until it shrivels and its liquid evaporates. Stir in the curry powder, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

　　

Step 3

Set the oven at 400°F. Spread the crust with the zucchini and scatter the bacon over it. Bake the tart for about 30 minutes or until the zucchini has browned somewhat and the crust is golden, adjusting the heat as necessary. Serve hot or warm; this does not keep very well.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.