Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

I was at La Buvette about a week ago and had a taste of a lovely leek and cheese tart.  And then I found leeks at the farmers market.  And goat cheese.  And so, I had to find a recipe for a tart.  This is what I used (with some alterations I've noted).  It was tasty warm.  I also just found out a few minutes ago that the leftovers (if there are any) are quite nice cold.

Makes 4 servings.

1 12" pie crust (I used one of the ones by pillsbury that you just unroll and make the size you want)
4-5 medium leeks (I had 4 small leeks, so I added one medium onion, thinly sliced)
2 T olive oil
3 T whipping cream
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 1/2 T chopped fresh tarragon (I didn't have this, so I left it out)
3 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Preparation:
  • Unfold piecrust, and roll into a 12-inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet. Fold outer 2 inches of dough over, and crimp. Prick bottom of crust with a fork. (I rolled the outer edges into a kind of swirly edge. I thought it was prettier than folding and crimping, but to each her own.)
  • Bake crust at 425° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Remove root, tough outer leaves, and tops from leeks, leaving 2 inches of dark leaves. Thinly slice leeks; rinse well, and drain.
  • Sauté leeks in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. (Do not brown.) Stir in cream, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in tarragon.
  • Sprinkle 2 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese on bottom of crust; top with leek mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Mine got golden, but not bubbly. And it took more than 20 minutes.  In fact, the goat cheese did not really melt.  I think that the next time I do this, I'll cream the goat cheese with an egg or with some cream cheese or something and put that on the bottom of the tart and then crumble chunks of goat cheese on top.  The flavor of this was great--really rich--but I'd have liked a creamy cheese layer in terms of texture.  But that's just me.

1 comment:

Darby said...

thank you, brooke. it was quite yum.