Today’s post is sponsored by Door to Door Organics, a new grocery delivery service in Chicago, in my capacity as a Brand Ambassador.
There are so many delicious vegetables that are at their peak in fall, such as squash, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, and kale. When my Door to Door Organics Medium Mixed Produce Box arrived these week, I was delighted to see many of these seasonal fruits and vegetables from apples and pears to Delicata squash and kale. (Remember, I am giving away three $50 gift certificates to Door to Door Organics and have a coupon for $10 off your first order. Go back to this post and leave a comment by October 30 to enter the giveaway!)
Today, I want to sing the praises of an often-overlooked fall vegetable: leeks. Leeks are among the locally grown vegetables that Door to Door Organics currently offers its Chicago subscribers. Members of the allium family, which also includes onions, shallots, and garlic, leeks have a mild onion flavor and are a wonderful addition to soups and stews during the cold-weather months. But right now, when leeks are at their peak, I want to encourage you to think outside of the soup bowl.
Leeks are wonderful braised in liquid, such as chicken broth. You do not need to do more than that for a terrific side dish. In this case, however, I did not even want to relegate leeks to a supporting role. No, I wanted my leeks to be the main event! So, I showcased them in a savory tart.
I adore savory tarts as a perfect one-dish meal. I will not pretend that this tart is quick and easy to make. It definitely takes several steps to prepare. But in defense of my leek tart, let me point out that these steps can be spaced out and some done well in advance which makes it seem less burdensome. Indeed, this recipe makes enough dough for two tart shells, so you can make the tart over the weekend and freeze the extra dough. Then, when the mood for a savory tart strikes again, half the work is done.
The Europeans are ahead of us when it comes to showcasing leeks. Perhaps it is because their words for this humble vegetable sound better than “leeks.” In French, for example, the word for leeks is “poireaux” and this dish would be a “tarte aux poireaux.” Doesn’t that sound better than leek tart? I’m hereby giving you permission to make this and serve it to your friends and family as a tarte aux poireuax. Everyone will be suitable impressed. Imagine serving this leek tart for a casual lunch party alongside a green salad. Très elegante!
What makes this tarte aux poireuax so very French is the addition of mustard. The custard is rich and creamy, the sautéed leeks are sweet and the mustard adds just a hint of vinegar and a little bite. The combination is perfect.
One word of advice about leeks: they are often filthy. Wash yours well. Even after washing, I cut mine in half lengthwise and then look in between the layers to make sure that I have rinsed off all the grit.
- For the tart shell:
- 7 ounces cold, unsalted butter
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- For the filling:
- 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and then sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cream
- ½ cup milk
- 4 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cut the butter into small cubes and place half of the cubes in the freezer. Return the other half to the refrigerator until needed.
- Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Add the chilled butter from the refrigerator to the dry ingredients and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add the frozen butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter is in small but still visible pieces.
- Combine the lemon juice and ice water and add six tablespoons of the mixture to the ingredients in the food processor. Pulse several times until combined. Pinch a bit of the dough and if it holds together, you do not need to add more liquid. If it is still dry, add more of the liquid, one-half tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough to a bowl or a well-floured board.
- Knead the dough until it forms a ball. Divide the dough into two and wrap each half well in plastic wrap. Place half the dough in the refrigerator to relax for at least a half-hour. Reserve the other half for another use.
- (If your dough was chilled for longer than thirty minutes, remove from the refrigerator and allow to soften for ten to fifteen minutes before rolling it out.)
- Prior to rolling out the dough, strike it with your rolling pin to flatten. This will soften it further.
- Preheat the oven to 400 and grease the bottom and sides of a tart pan.
- Liberally dust a pastry board or mat and your rolling pin with flour - you can use rice flour which does not contain any gluten to keep the dough tender, but all-purpose flour will do.
- Roll the dough out, rotating it and turning it frequently and adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, until it is the size of your tart pan and between ¼ and ⅛ of an inch thick.
- Carefully center the tart dough in the pan and press it into the bottom and sides. Trim or fold over any excess dough around the edges. (If time allows, chill the dough in the pan prior to baking. If doing ahead, the dough can be refrigerated or frozen in the pan overnight.)
- Cover the dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, beans or raw rice.
- Blind-bake the crust for 20 minutes. Then remove the weights and foil and bake an additional three minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and cool on a rack. Raise the oven temperature to 425.
- Prepare the filling by sautéing the leeks in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, about ten minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, cream and mustard.
- Place the softened leeks in the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell and spread in an even layer.
- Carefully pour the custard over the leeks. The custard should almost reach the top of the pan, but do not overfill.
- Sprinkle the tart with salt and pepper and bake for thirty minutes.
- Cool the baked tart on a rack for a few minutes before cutting.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Full disclosure time: This post was sponsored by Door to Door Organics and I have been compensated for my work. As always, all opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
