🍋Creamy Salmon, Gruyère & Artichoke Tart
An easy, elegant California-inspired salmon tart with creamy Gruyère, artichoke hearts, roasted-garlic herb pesto, fresh lemon and pico de gallo baked in a buttery, flaky crust. A delicious lunch, Sunday supper or simple weeknight dinner from Tré Taylor’s Nomad Kitchen. tretaylor.com
With Roasted-Garlic Herb Pesto & Fresh California Pico
From The Nomad Kitchen — Fairy Pet Mother Edition
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There are recipes you plan, and then there are recipes that happen because you find yourself pet sitting in a beautiful house in Walnut Creek, California, discover that your friend has a fabulously well-appointed baker's kitchen, spot a springform pan and think:
Well, let's see what happens.
Welcome to The Nomad Kitchen.
I had picked up a package of frozen pie crust at Trader Joe's for under five dollars because, although homemade pastry isn't terribly difficult, sometimes I don't want a culinary achievement. I want supper.
I also had a gorgeous fresh salmon fillet, Gruyère, lemons, fresh herbs, roasted garlic and homemade pico de gallo.
Meanwhile, my current charge, Manny—the world's softest and occasionally most discerning restaurant critic—has been a little finicky about his food while his humans are away.
Manny, August 2026
So I saved him a little unseasoned salmon and put that in the oven alongside mine.
Manny ate his.
And then I tasted mine.
OH. MY. GOD.
This was one of those accidental recipes where you take the first bite and realize you've stumbled onto something worth writing down.
Manny’s lunch going into the oven with ours.
The salmon gently poaches beneath bubbling Gruyère, artichokes, and cream. Lemon cuts through all that gorgeous richness. Roasted garlic melts into the herbs underneath. Tomato, jalapeño, onion and cilantro roast into the cheese on top, and beneath everything is a thin, buttery, flaky crust.
It's not a quiche. There are no eggs.
It's not really a traditional pie.
It's an open-faced creamy salmon tart—part French country supper, part California farmers-market cooking and entirely delicious.
CREAMY SALMON, GRUYÈRE & ARTICHOKE TART
Serves: 4–6
Prep: About 20 minutes
Bake: About 35–40 minutes total
Oven: 375°F
YOU'LL NEED
1 prepared pie crust
Butter for greasing the pan
1 large fresh salmon fillet, skin removed
1 can artichoke hearts, well drained and finely chopped
About 2 cups freshly shredded Gruyère
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan, optional
½–¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 lemon
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A very light sprinkle of Old Bay, optional
Fresh lemon wedges for serving
FOR THE ROASTED-GARLIC HERB PESTO
Roasted garlic
Fresh basil
Fresh parsley
Fresh cilantro
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Blend everything together until you have a thick, spoonable green pesto.
Don't be shy with the roasted garlic. Roasting transforms garlic into something sweet, mellow and almost buttery, which is exactly what we want underneath the salmon.
FOR THE FRESH PICO TOPPING
Finely dice:
Fresh tomato
Jalapeño
Onion
Fresh cilantro
Green onion or chives, if you have them
A little fresh dill, optional but lovely
A squeeze of lemon
Black pepper
Keep this fresh and bright. It is going to roast right into that bubbling Gruyère.
FIRST, GIVE THE CRUST A HEAD START
Lightly butter a nonstick springform pan.
Press the pie crust over the bottom and bring it approximately ½ inch up the sides. We're making a shallow tart rather than a deep pie.
Prick the bottom lightly with a fork.
Bake the empty crust at 375°F for about 10 minutes, just until it begins to set but hasn't fully browned.
This little pre-bake is important. The original experiment went into the oven completely raw and tasted wonderful, but the pastry directly underneath all that cheese stayed softer than I wanted.
Ten minutes should give us the crisp little foundation this tart deserves.
MAKE THE CREAMY ARTICHOKE-GRUYÈRE FILLING
In a mixing bowl, combine:
Chopped artichoke hearts
Gruyère
Parmesan, if using
½ cup heavy cream
A squeeze of fresh lemon
Freshly ground black pepper
Toss everything together until the cheese and artichokes are lightly coated in cream.
It should be creamy, not swimming.
If it looks dry, add another splash of cream. You can work your way toward ¾ cup, but I wouldn't automatically pour in a full cup.
We're making a luscious tart, not launching the salmon into Lake Gruyère.
ASSEMBLE THE TART
Remove the partially baked crust from the oven.
Spread a beautiful layer of roasted-garlic herb pesto across the bottom.
Spoon the creamy artichoke-Gruyère mixture over the pesto and spread it evenly.
Season the salmon very lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remember: Gruyère and Parmesan already bring plenty of salt.
Lay the raw salmon over the cheese and artichokes.
Add fresh lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice over the fish.
Scatter a little additional Gruyère over the salmon—just enough to melt beautifully over the top without burying our lovely fish.
Finally, spoon the fresh tomato-jalapeño-onion-cilantro mixture across the top.
BAKE
Place the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. There is cream involved. There is salmon involved. There is cheese involved.
We respect gravity.
Bake at 375°F for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked to your liking, the filling is bubbling and the cheese is beautifully melted and beginning to brown.
If necessary, give it another few minutes.
Then—and this matters—let the tart rest for 10–15 minutes before releasing the springform pan and cutting it.
The filling will settle as it rests.
Easy lunch bake that satisfies.
