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Thursday, January 24, 2008

leek and swiss chard tart

leek swiss chard tart

What’s on your list? You know, the running one you keep in your head, in a series of Post-It notes spread across all surfaces of your life, or if you are particularly scary kooky, on a spreadsheet? Me, I’ve got several lists. There’s the Apartment Want This list, because, oh, how I covet the home furnishings; the Go Here list, which holds my in- and outside NYC destination dreams; the Read This list, which I pretty much avoid, and the Listen to This list with all of the music I would like to download and shake my booty arrhythmically to were I not fascistly opposed to DRM.

leeks

A then there is the Cook This list, all 300+ items long. This one neither makes me feel bad about my financial limitations (like the Apartment list), vacation time availability (like the Go Here list), my Web-ruined attention span when it comes to content running more than 500 words (like the Read This list), or what happens when you let a bunch of people in board rooms decide how music should be sold (like the Listen list). Sure, I don’t have time to get to all of the items on the Cook This list, but there’s a “yet” in there and that “yet” and that means everything.

swiss chart leek tart

Thus, let me humbly suggest that you add a Leek Swiss Chard Tart to your list or lists, in whatever format they may be. I had bookmarked this for more months than I care to dwell on, and then made it two days before we had a chance to eat it and still—it has absolutely saved us at dinnertime twice this week. To me, a quiche and a few salad greens, perhaps a bit of something pickled and, oh, why not, a decadent slice of cheese in the fridge is all I could ever need or want to subsist on. It is both Brunch and Dinner. It tastes as good the third day as it did the first.

It is one less thing on a list, and this alone is something to celebrate.

leek and swiss chard tart

One year ago: Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans

Bloggies! Smitten Kitchen has been nominated for a Weblog Award in the Photography category! We are so excited. Sure, we’re up against three Top 100 bloggers and one professional photographer, and, oh, I read all four of those sites daily and therefore kind of want them all to win, but fortunately, the Bloggies are the very definition of it being an honor just to be nominated, so thank you for this opportunity. (Oh, and please do not vote based on the icky pictures in this post; I had to say it.) Don’t forget to check out all of the other food blogs nominated—in fact, nearly one in every category! [2008 Bloggie Awards]

Leek and Swiss Chart Tart
Bon Appetit, October 1999

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I used a par-baked basic tart dough instead)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 cups whipping cream (I used whole milk)
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold under; crimp edges. Cover; chill.

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard; saut until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust.

Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 15 minutes longer (this took my oven about 10 minutes longer). Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

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