Zucchini and goat cheese galette

This recipe is adapted from a very delicious version made by Smitten Kitchen - I've substituted goat cheese for ricotta and used lemon basil to add a bit of extra zing.  In any case, this free form tart is packed full of flavor and tastes great warm or cold.

Ingredients

Pastry

1.25 c flour
1/4 t salt
8 T unsalted butter,
1/4 c sour cream/creme fraiche
2 t lemon juice
1/4 c ice water
1 egg yolk for glaze

Filling

1 large (or 2 small) zucchinis, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c fresh goat cheese (I mixed some goat cheese with sour creme to get a more spreadable texture)
1/2 c grated parmesian
1/2 c shredded mozzarella (or similarly soft cheese)
1 T slivered basil leaves (use lemon basil if you can find it!)

Instructions

1) Combine salt and flour in a large bowl.  Sprinkle small chunks of butter over mixture, and blend with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles very coarse sand.  (You can also do this in a food processor, using short 1/2 second bursts - just don't overmix!)
2) In a small bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and water.
3) Add liquid to flour mix, and mix gently with fingertips or a spoon, until the dough is in large lumps.  Try not to overmix, as you will bread up the butter globules and the pastry will be tough not flaky.  If your dough is too wet, add a few T of flour.
4) Cover pastry with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 15 minutes, until dough is cold and firm (but definitely not frozen).
5) Combine oil and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
6) In a medium bowl, mix goat cheese, parmesian, mozzarella, basil, and 1 t of garlicky oil.  Set aside.
7) After the dough is chilled, preheat oven to 200C.  On a flour work surface, roll the dough into a 12 inch round (either with your fingers or a rolling pin).  For extra flaky dough, fold the dough over itself several times.
8) Transfer dough round to a parchment-lined baking tray.  Spread cheese mixture evenly over middle of dough, leaving a 2" border.
9) Arrange zucchini in concentric circles, overlapping slightly, and starting at the outside edge.
10) Drizzle with garlic olive oil, and fold dough over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit.
11) Mix egg yolk with 1 T water, and brush over dough.
12) Bake galette 30-40 minutes, until crust is firm and gold brown, and zucchini is slightly wilted.

Savory Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

This is a very interesting savory cheesecake filled with zucchini, shallots, and lemon zest. It's sort of like a savory tart, but without the crust - just a bit more creamy and indulgent. Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Ingredients

2 c zucchini, unpeeled and grated
1 t salt
2.5 c ricotta (I substituted a 50-50 combination of marscapone and cottage cheese and it worked really well)
1/2 c parmesian
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 c fresh dill, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 c fresh goats cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 325F/165C, and butter a 7" springform pan (a larger pan is fine, just reduce the cooking time)
2) Squeeze as much water out of the zucchini as possible and set aside.
3) Combine ricotta, parmesian, shallots, garlic, dill, and lemon zest, and stir in the eggs until well mixed.  Then stir in the zucchini.
4) Fill the springform pan with the mixture and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 60 minutes.
5) Remove from oven, sprinkle with goats cheese, and return to oven for another 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center.

Spinach and Onion Tart

This tart is full of spinach and tastes great with a dash of truffle oil (if you have it).  Otherwise, I've made this recipe a lot less healthy and probably more tasty, so if you're looking for something easy on the arteries refer to the original link.  Adapted from the NYTimes Recipes for Health.

Ingredients

Crust

1.25 c flour
1T + 2t corn starch
pinch of salt
6 T butter, cut into small chunks
1 egg

Filling

12oz baby spinach
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 t dried thyme
3 eggs
1/2 c cream
1/2 c milk
1/2 to 3/4 c gruyere, grated
1/4 to 1/2 c parmesian, grated (adjust the amount of cheese depending on how strong you like the flavor)

Instructions

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt.

2) Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in the butter until the texture is like course sand.

3) Add egg and mix well with a fork - the dough should be like wet, clumpy sand.

4) Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12" circle.

5) Press dough into a greased 9" circular pan, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10-15).

6) Preheat the oven to 180C, and steam spinach until wilted.  You can do this easily in the microwave by heating the spinach in two batches in a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water, covered, for 2-3 minutes.
7) Heat olive oil over medium heat, and saute onion until translucent, about 8 minutes.
8) Combine onion with spinach, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
9) Combine eggs, cream, and cheeses in a large bowl.
10) Combine spinach mixture with cheese mixture, and pour evenly into the tart pan.
11) Place in oven and bake 40-45 minutes, until the eggs are well set.  Allow to cool for several minutes before serving.

Blue Cheese and Red Potato Tart

This recipe is amazing, and perfect for a cold winter's night.  If you happen to be a bacon fan, this tart also tastes amazing with chopped, pan-fried bacon - just sprinkle it over the potatoes before you sprinkle on the blue cheese.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 pound small red potatoes (I used purple ones!)
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
3/4 c crumbled stilton (if you like cheese, add 1c)
1/2 T thyme, finely chopped
1/2 T rosemary, finely chopped
1.25 c flour
1 T + 2t cornstarch
pinch of salt
6 T butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, and salt.
2) Using a pastry cutter or food processor, cut in the butter until the texture is like course sand.
3) Add egg and mix well with a fork - the dough should be like wet, clumpy sand.
4) Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 12" circle.
5) Press dough into a 9" tart pan, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freeze for 10-15).
6) Preheat the oven to 180C.  Boil potatoes until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
7) Slice potatoes thinly, and arrange slices into overlapping concentric circles in the tart pan.
8) Sprinkle potatoes with blue cheese (and bacon, if using).
9) Whisk together cream and egg yolk, and pour over tart shell.
10) Sprinkle with herbs, and bake 45-50 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

Cauliflower, Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Truffle Tart (i.e. The Most Ridiculous Tart Ever)

This tart is amazing - if you are a fan of cheese, caramelized onions, or truffles, you have to make this.  It's so rich that you'll probably only be able to have one piece, but you'll probably end of up eating more anyway.  Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Ingredients

1 small head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
3.5 T olive oil
1/2 T truffle oil
1 refrigerated pie crust (you can make your own if you want, see this recipe)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 T dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 container (7-8oz) mascarpone cheese
1/2 c full-fat milk (or cream)
1/4 t pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 c grated gruyere cheese
1/3 c grated parmesian cheese

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss cauliflower in 2 T olive oil, spread on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast 25-30 minutes, tossing them halfway through to avoid burning.
2) Toss cauliflower with truffle oil and lower oven temperature to 350F.
3) Press pie crust into the bottom of a 9 inch tart pan, cover with foil, and pre-bake for 20 minutes, until the crust is golden.  (Use foil and pie weights if you have them.)  Let cool.
4) Heat remaining 1.5 T olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until a deep gold brown, stirring occasionally, 30-40 minutes.
5) Whisk together eggs, mascarpone, milk, and nutmeg in a large bowl, then add the gruyere.
6) Spread dijon mustard over the bottom of the tart pan, then sprinkle with onions.
7) Arrange cauliflower on top of mustard and onions, then pour cheese mixture on top.
8) Sprinkle with parmesian, and bake until the tart is gold and the center i set, about 40 minutes.  Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

Adapted from a recipe by the folks at Riverford.


Ingredients

Tart Filling

2 large leeks, halved and sliced
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
150ml single cream
thyme leaves
100g goats cheese, crumbled
25g parmesan, freshly grated

Tart Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
6 T olive oil
3 T ice water

Instructions

Pastry

1) Grease a 9-inch tart pan. Pulse flour, sugar, salt in a food processor until combined, about 4 pulses. Drizzle the oil over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, about 12 pulses.
2) Put oil-flour mixture in a bowl, and work in the ice water by hand with a spatula. Begin by with 2 tablespoons of the ice water; if powdery bits of flour remain, add the remaining tablespoon water.
3) Dump all but 1/3 cup of the dough crumbs into the prepared tart pan and press the crumbs into bottom. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup crumbs around the edge of the tart pan and press into a crust edge.
4) Lay plastic wrap over the dough and smooth out any bumps or shallow areas using your palm. Freeze the dough until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust preheat the oven to 375F.
5) Place the frozen tart shell on a baking sheet. Gently cover with a piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil, and fill the shell with pie weights. Bake until the dough is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Tart

1) Saute leeks in a little butter until soft. Spoon leeks into bottom of pre-baked tart and sprinkle with goat chese and thyme leaves.
2) Mix eggs and cream with parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Pour over leeks and goat cheese, and bake for 30-40 minutes at 325F/150C.

French Gruyere and Vegetable Tart

From Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven. A delicious savory tart - the sage gives it a unique flavor. I prefer to use a bit more cheese than the recipe calls for.




Ingredients

1 10-inch unbaked tart crust (your favorite recipe or a frozen one from the store)
1 lb baby potatoes
1-2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced (2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c grated Gruyere cheese (~1/4 lb)
2 tbsp minced fresh sage
1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely sliced

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place potatoes in saucepan, cover with water, and boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat oil in skillet, add onion and salt, and cook on low heat until onion is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Spread one cup of cheese into bottom of unbaked crust. Spoon onion over the cheese, and sprinkle with sage.
3) When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel (if desired) then slice thin. Arrange slices in overlapping concentric circles over cheese. Arrange bell pepper slices over potatoes in ring. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and black pepper to taste.
4) Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crust is golden around edges. Remove tart from oven, and let tart cool for at least 10 minutes.