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3 to 4 tablespoons very cold water

One of the five fillings (recipes follow)

First make the crust. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Grind the walnuts in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade until coarsely ground—not powdered but also in no way chunky. Add the flour and salt; pulse once or twice to combine.

Drop in the butter and pulse until incorporated and cut into small pieces. Add the water and pulse until a dough forms.

Lay a piece of wax paper on the work surface and lightly dust it with flour. Turn the dough out onto it; dust the dough lightly with flour. Roll it until 11 inches in diameter and about ¼ inch thick—you can tell if it’s the right circumference by holding the 10-inch tart pan over it and checking that it’s about 1 inch larger than the circumference of the pan.

Gently lift the wax paper and crust off the work surface, invert it over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, and press the crust down into the pan. Peel off the wax paper and continue pressing the crust into the pan, pushing it up the sides about 1 inch and making sure it gets into any fluted edges. Prick the crust many times across the bottom and sides with a fork.

Bake until lightly browned and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. (Once baked and cooled, the crust can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

Next, prepare one of these five fillings in the tart shell:

Stilton, Peaches, and Basil

Arrange 3 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced, across the bottom of the crust. Lay 6 basil leaves over the slices, then sprinkle with 3 ounces crumbled Stilton.

Crab and Pesto

Sprinkle 15 ounces lump crabmeat, picked over for shell and cartilage, across the tart crust. Dot with ½ cup Pecan Pesto or Sage Pesto in 1-tablespoon increments, spreading them a bit with a rubber spatula.

Pears and Parmesan

Arrange 2 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced, across the crust, then top with 3 ounces thinly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over the cheese.

Plums and Asiago

Brush 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard over the tart bottom with a pastry brush. Top with 4 ripe plums, seeded and thinly sliced. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons pine nuts over the tart, then top with 2 ounces grated Asiago.

Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over low heat. Add 2 medium onions, thinly sliced, and 1 tablespoon caraway or fennel seeds. Reduce the heat to very low and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and soft, about 30 minutes. Do not let the onions brown. At the same time, fry 4 strips bacon in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes, turning two or three times. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, then crumble into small bits. Mix the crumbled bacon into the onions when they’re finished cooking. Spoon this mixture into the tart shell.

Finally, bake the tart. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Bake the filled tart until the cheese melts and/ or the filling starts to bubble, about 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes or up to 3 hours before slipping the tart out of its removable ring to slice and serve.

One Crust, Three Classics:

Focaccia, Pissaladière,

and Pizza

Focaccia is an Italian flatbread, topped simply with aromatics and salt. Pissaladière is a thin-crust pizza from Nice, topped with slow-cooked onions, anchovies, and olives. And pizza? It’s high time it got put in its rightful place: as an appetizer, served with a summery fruit punch or an aperitif. Makes 12 appetizer servings or 6 main-course servings; makes one large 17 × 11-inch crust

The Crust

1¼ cups warm water (between 105°F and 115°F)

½ teaspoon sugar

½ ounce (2 standard packages or 5 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1/3 cup olive oil, plus additional for greasing the bowl

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups or more all-purpose flour

Pour the water into the bowl of a stand mixer