Greens & Goat Cheese Quiche Tart

As I aim to become more conscious of the food I consume, I'm having fun finding different ways to incorporate local goods into complete dishes and meals. This recipe is a case in point! With exception for the olive oil, salt, and pepper, all of the following ingredients were grown or produced in New England, and many were picked up right at the farm. I used a combination of beet greens and spinach, but Swiss chard or kale would also work just as well. For anyone with a few garlic scapes still kicking around your fridge or garden- these, too, can be substituted for or used in addition to scallion or onion.

For more information on where you can find locally-grown and produced goods perhaps not available through your CSA or local farmers market, such as particular pick-your-own crops and dry storage items, I suggest using this website to seek out farms or retailers specializing in these items.

 

Greens & Goat Cheese Quiche Tart
Makes one 9" tart

Ingredients:

For the tart shell:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp dried basil (optional)
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup ice water, strained

For the quiche filling:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch scallions or 3 bunching onions, sliced into rounds (about 3/4 to 1 scant cup)
• 1/2 bulb fennel, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 lb greens, chopped (a great way to use those oft' composted beet greens!)
• a small handful of basil leaves, chiffonade sliced (about 1/4 cup, loosely filled)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp milk or heavy cream
• 4 oz goat cheese (or your preferred cheese; gouda seems like a great fit, too!)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and dried basil. Add cold butter, chopped into large chunks, and work into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter until you have a shaggy-looking dough with pieces no larger than English peas. Quickly drizzle in the ice water and stir to combine. At this point, the dough should stick together when you pinch a bit of it between your fingers; if it is still very dry and crumbly, add more ice water, tablespoon by tablespoon, until this is achieved. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, using the wrap to help you create a large, flat disk of dough (fold the edges of the dough toward the center and press down to smooth out any roughness). Refridgerate the dough for one hour or put it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the fennel and scallion or onion until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add the greens, with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until wilted and tender, about 5-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the basil, stirring to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk or cream, and goat cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into an 12 inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Fold the overhanging edge down inside the tart pan, pressing gently to help it adhere. Using tongs, evenly distribute the greens filling in the tart shell, then pour in the egg mixture, gently tilting the tart pan to ensure an even spread. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F until the crust is golden and the filling is set, about 35-40 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

 Great served for breakfast, brunch, or a picnic dinner.

Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2012). Recipe adapted from Flour Arrangements.

Cupboard Tart

As you may have noticed, I try to keep things pretty healthy on the farm blog. After all, Waltham Fields is primarily a vegetable farm, and just about everyone could use more of this food group in their lives. But many of those keen to consume a "locavore" or "mocavore (mostly locavore)" diet are active preservationists, too. I myself began preserving foods just a few years ago, but still find that by the beginning of the next growing season many a jar of preserves, be they sweet or savory, line my cupboard shelves. So what is one to do? Make what I've called a "cupboard" tart. The idea is simple: use what you've got on hand to make a delicious treat.

For this particular pastry, I used my homemade blueberry jam and peaches, both canned in the summer of 2011 using local produce purchased at peak season. Continuing with this theme, the original recipe for the tart crust called for two sticks of butter and buttermilk; since I only had one stick of butter in the fridge and no buttermilk, I swapped in the remaining coconut spread and nut cream I had on hand from a no-bake chocolate coconut cookie I recently made. It turned out wonderfully!

Cupboard Tart
Makes one 11-inch tart

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick of unsalted butter*
• 4 oz coconut spread*
• 1/2 cup sweetened nut cream (I used an almond-cashew blend)
• 1 half-pint jam (I used blueberry)
• 1 quart whole fruit, drained (I used peaches in light syrup, drained and sliced 1/4" thick)
• sugar for sprinkling

* To make this vegan, simply use 8 oz of coconut spread or your preferred vegan butter substitute that is suitable for pie crusts.

Directions:

To make the tart dough, place the butter and coconut spread in the freezer for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, sift together flour and salt. Add the fats and cut in with a pastry blender until the dough is crumbly (dough pieces should be no larger than peas). Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest at least one hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer. After this resting, add the nut cream all at once and quickly mix with one hand, breaking up big clumps as needed. Once again, cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rest at least one hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer.

After the dough has rested, pour the crumbles into the tart pan. Gently push the crumbles into the bottom of the pan and up the sides, creating a crust that is roughly 1/4" thick on the bottom and up to 1/2" thick around the sides. Loosely cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and place the tart pan in the fridge for an hour or the freezer for 30 minutes.

While you wait, you can prep the filling. Open and stir the jam so it's loosened up for spreading onto the crust. If necessary, drain and slice the whole fruits. This is also a good time to preheat the oven with a separate baking sheet inside to 425 degrees F.

Once rested in the pan, spread the jam onto the bottom of the tart crust in an even layer. Arrange the fruits as you please and sprinkle with sugar (coarse is lovely but the regular stuff is fine, too).

Place the tart pan onto the preheated baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes (this should prevent the tart crust from getting soggy). Quickly but carefully remove the tart pan from the baking sheet, returning both to the oven with the tart pan on a rack directly above the baking sheet in case of dripping. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the pastry's edges begin to turn golden brown. If at any point the pastry begins to darken too much, loosely cover the crust with a ring of aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.

Every little bit counts... extra dough crumbles became a small rustic tart.

This tart can be wrapped and stored on the counter for up to 3 days, but it best eaten within an hour or so of baking... just ask the farmers!


Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2012). Tart crust recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.