We’re awash in sugar ‘round these parts. Last week started with blackberry cobbler with “dip,” ended with maple bourbon goat milk waffles, and dropped us smack dab at yesterday’s door with a coffee-nutella-s’more pie. Dave recently balked on our banana-bread-off (after he tasted mine, might I add: scared stiff of the competition!), but I’m relieved not to have as much sweet stuff floating around the house; it’s time to come up for some salty air. And lo’ and behold: I live on a cheese farm. This is the perfect place to regenerate a salt tooth.
A month or two before I arrived, Arlene worked up a few wheels of goat tomme with vegetable ash running through their centers. We cut into them about two weeks ago, and while she of course had her critiques, I was totally smitten. The tomme tastes like a clean asiago, and it’s ended up being a dang-near perfect savory baking cheese—salty, nutty, the right sort of contrast to fruit and vegetables. And as much as I would love for you to come up to Maine and buy some in person, don’t let the travel distance stop you from making this tart! Swap in some asiago, parmesan, or any good hard cheese, and you’ll be rolling some savory bliss—a nice change of pace ‘round these parts.
For the Crust
Adapted from Apt. 2B Baking Co. and I Made That!
Makes enough for two, but you’ll only need one for this recipe. Feel free to substitute in your favorite crust recipe instead! Click here for photo tutorial.
12 ounces pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
8 ounces (two sticks) very cold butter
4 to 6 ounces ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1. On a clean counter, dump your flour and salt; mix it around with a bench scraper. Chop one stick of butter into quarters, and cut it into the four with your bench scraper. When butter is about the size of lima beans, cut in the second stick, pulling, folding, and tossing with the bench scraper as you go, until the butter is about the size of quarters. Add the vinegar to the ice water.
2. Using your fingers, flick the water onto the butter-flour mixture, gently folding with the bench scraper all the while. You have added enough water once the mixture holds together when squeezed; it should be very shaggy.
3. Next, push the butter into the flour. Using the heel of your palm, push a small section of the dough down and away from you; this creates long layers of butter in your dough, which translates to long flaky layers in your crust. Use your bench scraper to scrape up the smear, and put it a bowl. Repeat until all the dough has been smeared and you have a bowlful of long, buttery layers. Push these into one mass, divide in half, wrap each in plastic, flatten into disks, and chill at least two hours, or better yet overnight.
For the Filling
12 ounces pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
8 ounces (two sticks) very cold butter
4 to 6 ounces ice water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1. On a clean counter, dump your flour and salt; mix it around with a bench scraper. Chop one stick of butter into quarters, and cut it into the four with your bench scraper. When butter is about the size of lima beans, cut in the second stick, pulling, folding, and tossing with the bench scraper as you go, until the butter is about the size of quarters. Add the vinegar to the ice water.
2. Using your fingers, flick the water onto the butter-flour mixture, gently folding with the bench scraper all the while. You have added enough water once the mixture holds together when squeezed; it should be very shaggy.
3. Next, push the butter into the flour. Using the heel of your palm, push a small section of the dough down and away from you; this creates long layers of butter in your dough, which translates to long flaky layers in your crust. Use your bench scraper to scrape up the smear, and put it a bowl. Repeat until all the dough has been smeared and you have a bowlful of long, buttery layers. Push these into one mass, divide in half, wrap each in plastic, flatten into disks, and chill at least two hours, or better yet overnight.
For the Filling
Adapted significantly from Smitten Kitchen
I added shallots, kale, dijon, and a salt quantity to this. Also used a different crust, cut back the cream, and kept the egg white instead of using just the yolk. See here for her version with blue cheese.
One-half recipe savory pie or tart crust
3/4 pound small red potatoes
1/3 cup shredded cheese (we used farm-made goat tomme, but consider gouda, gruyere, asiago, havarti)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium shallot, sliced into thin rings
3 to 4 large leaves of kale, ribs removed, and leaves cut into ribbons
1 tablespoon dijon or other fine mustard
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 medium or large egg
1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt (see here for salt tutorial to compensate if using other brand)
Cracked black pepper
Parsley for garnish, optional
1. Roll out your dough to a ten-inch circle and fit it into an 8-inch tart pan. Prick all over with a fork, and place it in the freezer while you ready everything else. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and set aside.
2. Slice the potatoes into quarter-inch slices. Put into medium saucepan, cover with an inch or two of water, bring to a simmer, and cook for about ten minutes, until tender. Drain, and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. In a medium sautee pan, heat olive oil over medium until hot. Add shallots, and cook until wilted and starting to color, about five minutes. Add kale ribbons, and cook until bright green, two to three minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Next, spread your mustard across the bottom of your frozen tart dough; use more if you wish, but a thin layer should do the trick. Whisk together the cream, egg, and salt, and set aside.
4. Starting out the outside of your tart, overlap potato slices into one ring. Use a bit more than half of your kale ribbons and shallots to line the inner edge of your potato ring. Make your next circle of potatoes. Line that one with kale ribbons, and make your final third circle the middle. Use leftover potatoes to go back and fill in places where the potato circles might be thin. Top with your cheese and any remaining shallots. Slowly pour the cream and egg mixture across the top, allowing it to sink down into the spaces between potatoes. Crack some black pepper over the top, and bake on cookie sheet for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the cheese and crust are golden, and the filling is bubbling. Remove to a cooling rack for ten to 15 minutes, remove outer tart pan ring, top with a few torn parsley leaves if desired, and serve while still warm.
Tomatoes for a side salad with the goat tomme front and center-ish.
