Savory Pie and Tart

ALSACE Serve with a green salad for a lovely lunch or light supper. What to drink: Gewürztraminer or a dry Alsatian Riesling.

Sautéed vegetables are piled atop a creamy goat cheese-custard filling.

This may be an unusual combination of ingredients and flavors for empanadas, but the pairing of cabbage, blue cheese, and walnuts is a classic that makes a wonderful cold-weather dish. While these empanadas would serve as a delicious and hearty vegetarian main course with the addition of rice and beans, I love these flavors with pork.

Offer a small salad of baby greens with a shallot and tarragon vinaigrette.

Sausage and Potato Mini-Turnovers The dough for these little turnovers may be pressed either by hand or with a tortilla press.

I use these prebaked tart shells (also called galettes) for a wide variety of fillings, both sweet and savory. Because you bake them directly on baking sheets, you don't need a cupboard full of tart pans to make any size tart you want. You don't need to weight the tarts as they bake to prevent the sides from caving in, and they always turn out very crisp and delicate throughout because there is nothing to get in the way of the oven's heat flow.

Prick the pastry with a fork so that it doesn't puff up during baking. This tart works as an entree or, cut into smaller pieces, as hors d'oeuvres.

Like the tarte Tatin, that famous French upside-down apple dessert created by the Tatin sisters, these savory stacks have a crispy top crust that ultimately becomes the bottom-perfect for sopping up the unctuous tomato juices and pesto. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This beautiful appetizer boasts a delicate balance of leek and cheese flavor.