Tarts & Tians: Savory Summer Mains with April Dodd

NOTE: iphone and ipad users, CLICK HERE to register for class.

What’s on the Menu:

• Pastel de Alcachofas (Artichoke Tart)
• Summer Tomato Tian

Description: Seasonal. Visually striking. Vegetable-forward. Most of us want our dinners to be all of these things, but in summer, too often we settle for the best two out of three. Join Milk Street’s April Dodd to make two summer dishes that don’t require any compromise—just seasonal ingredients, good knife skills and hot weather-friendly techniques. Since we wouldn’t wish pastry dough from scratch on our worst kitchen nemesis in summer, we’ll start by giving you enthusiastic permission to grab some all-butter puff pastry from the frozen aisle to make our pastel de alcachofas, a Peruvian-style artichoke tart. We’ll cover preparing fresh artichokes for those who are curious and also—are you sensing a theme here?—tell you it’s okay to use jarred ones. Finally, we’ll talk about the herbs that pair best with artichokes’ earthy profile, the reason we call for two cheeses and how to serve it today, warm it tomorrow or freeze it for the future. Then, we draw on lessons from Provence, France to make a summery casserole—no, that isn’t a contradiction of terms—that is all about tomatoes, though we’ll also talk about how to use the technique to adapt for fall veggies. This hands-off recipe has just four ingredients and can be prepared in the oven or on a grill. If it doesn’t get eaten by lucky summer dinner party guests, it easily turns into a refrigerated spread or freezer-ready preserve. You’ll come away from this class with fresh inspiration for seasonal produce and summer-friendly ways to prepare them.

Thank You to the Generous Sponsors of this Class

Copper, which makes battery-equipped induction ranges that power premium cooking experiences and store renewable energy — without the need for complex, expensive electrical upgrades. Learn more: t.ly/cU1pO

Work Sharp, which makes sharpening products that are fast, easy to use and work every time. Find their products on the Milk Street Store and use code SHARPSMART for 10% off: t.ly/SSsSz

Vermicular. With 80+ years of Japanese craftsmanship and heating innovation, they craft thoughtfully designed cast iron cookware that inspires chefs of all levels. Use code COOKLIGHT for 10% off their products at the Milk Street Store: t.ly/mu01T

Thank you to other the 2025 Annual Sponsors of the Cooking School, who make our livestream events possible:

• Coccinella, whose Oleavia Extra-Virgin Olive Oils are made with olives that are harvested early, hand-picked and cold-pressed to ensure impeccable flavor. Use code MILK STREET to get 20% off your first order: https://www.coccinellastore.com/oleavia-evoo
• Wulf’s Fish and Savenor’s Market. Together, Wulf’s and Savenor’s provide premium seafood and gourmet meat to chefs and home cooks across the country. Use code MILKSTREET for 20% off orders from Wulf’s (t.ly/REVSO) and Savenor’s (t.ly/CRwjA).

If you have any questions about this class, please don't hesitate to get in touch via cookingschool@177milkstreet.com.

This event has limited spots and you must register in advance via Eventbrite in order to attend. One sign-up covers one device. Payments for Milk Street livestream events are non-refundable. If you find yourself unable to attend, you may transfer the ticket to someone else, but we are unable to refund fees and all payments are final.

Closed Captioning is available for all Milk Street virtual events.

Immediately after registering, you will get a confirmation email that contains the Zoom meeting log-in information. One week prior to the class (or within 48 hours, if you register less than one week in advance), you will receive instructions on how to prepare ingredients and equipment in order to cook along, if you choose.

After class, you will receive a recording of the event, as links to any additional recipes and resources that may come up. NOTE:The recording link is only available online for one month following each event. If you’d like to have access to the recording for longer than that, you'll need to save the recording locally by clicking on “download” on the top right corner of the recording page.

Proceeds from livestream cooking classes and workshops support Milk Street's non-profit work with The Big Sisters Association of Great Boston, The Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, FoodCorps and other partners.

Bonus: All attendees of this class will receive a one-time 20% off coupon to the Milk Street Store after class.