I am still housebound with my ankle mending and watching the Dow continue to dive… I have been going through resumes looking for an assistant for helping with my new book I am about to write on parties… it seems incongruous to think of parties with all the doom and gloom around me but isn’t that why we sometimes need a party? It doesn’t just have to be celebratory… Why not a party to commiserate and feel a sense of comfort with friends or family?
I am thinking of inviting a few friends over this weekend for Sunday lunch, each who will contribute one dish, since I am unable to stand and cook. I love this tart that tastes like a little bit of France. It takes some time to prepare but is well worth it. I know a friend who will love making this. I’ll ask another buddy to bring a salad and I’ll supply the wine. Here’s the menu I will propose:
Grapefruit, Mushroom and Avocado Salad
Onion, Leek and Olive Tart
Assorted sliced apples, pears and wedges of blue and fresh goat cheese with assorted sliced breads (seeded, currant or raisin and French)
Honey to drizzle over the bread, fruit and cheese ( white truffle or orange blossom)
Fruit and Cheese Platter
The tart is soooo good you have to try it. Here is the recipe. Let me know what you think… and don’t despair… food and friends will always make everything feel better. And a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir would make it that much better.
Onion, Leek, and Olive Tart
Layers of flavor give this savory tart its signature. A sweet jam-like onion mixture is combined with a cheese custard accented with sun-dried tomatoes and olives, and the result is simply sublime. If you are in a hurry, use a packaged store-bought crust. I like to serve this alongside a mixed green salad as a main course for brunch. Small slices of the tart are also good as a first course.
Serves 8
Filling
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large yellow onions, very thinly sliced
4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons store-bought sun-dried tomato pesto
1/2 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons shredded Gruyère cheese
Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter cut into small pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. To make the onion filling: In a very large deep sauté pan, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leeks, sugar, and salt and pepper and toss with tongs to coat the vegetables evenly. Sauté for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the onions and leeks are browned and caramelized and almost resemble marmalade; stir constantly toward the end of the cooking time to brown the onions evenly. (If the onions begin to stick and seem too brown, add 1/4 cup water and scrape up the brown bits before continuing.) Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. To make the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and process for a few seconds to blend. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 5 to 10 seconds. With the blades turning, gradually add the water until the dough is just beginning to come together and will adhere when pinched.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured pastry board or work surface and shape into a disk for easy rolling. Roll out into a 13-inch circle. Drape the circle over the rolling pin and fit it into an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Roll the pin over the tart pan with moderate pressure to remove any excess overhanging dough. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet.
4. Prick the shell all over and line it with a large piece of parchment or wax paper. Fill with dried beans, or baking beads to prevent the shell from shrinking. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until very light brown. Remove from the oven. Leave the oven on.
5. Remove the paper and beans, and brush the shell with the mustard. Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Place the shell back in the oven for about 7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F .
6. While the cheese melts, beat the eggs, milk, pesto, olives, and 1/2 cup of the Gruyère in a bowl until well blended. remove the tart from the oven. Spread the onion mixture evenly in the tart shell. Spoon the custard mixture evenly over the onion mixture and sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons Gruyère.
7. Bake the tart for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted and the filling does not jiggle when gently shaken. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
8. To serve; remove the sides of the tart pan and place the tart on a serving dish. Slice into wedges.
Advance Preparation: The tart is best eaten the day it is baked, but it may be made through Step 3 up to 1 day ahead. Cover the unbaked tart shell and chill filling serarately and refrigerate. Bring the filling to room temperature before filling the baked shell.
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