P. Allen Smith's Seasonal Recipes from the Garden

Goat Cheese and Leek Tart
 
Serves 8
Dough for 1 Easy Pie Crust (recipe below)
4 large eggs, beaten
2 pounds leeks (about 2 medium leeks)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup snipped fresh chives (1/2-inch pieces)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
1 cup Greek yogurt
 
Place a baking sheet on the center shelf of the oven, and preheat the oven
to 375°F.
 
Very lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-diameter tart pan
with a removable bottom. Roll out the dough and press it lightly but firmly
over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan, being careful not to stretch
it. Trim the edges, and then press the dough up about ¼ inch above the rim
of the pan all around. Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Brush some of the
beaten egg over the dough.
 
Place the pan on the baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until
the pastry is golden. Check halfway through the cooking time to make sure
that the pastry isn’t rising up in the center. If it is, just prick it a couple of times
and gently press it back down with the back of a fork. When the crust is done,
remove the tart pan but leave the oven on.
 
While the crust is baking, prepare the filling: Cut off the tough green
tops of the leeks, leaving 2 to 3 inches of the tender green portion. Then
make a vertical split down the center of each leek, and wash the leeks
thoroughly to remove any sand or grit. Cut the leeks into ¼ inch-thick slices.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat, and add the leeks, artichoke hearts, chives, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook gently, uncovered,
for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Remove the skillet from the heat.
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together the goat cheese, yogurt, and
remaining beaten eggs. Add the leek mixture and blend well. Pour the
mixture into the baked tart crust, and return it to the oven. Bake the tart for
30 to 35 minutes, or until it’s firm in the center and the surface has turned a
nice golden brown. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for
10 minutes before serving (this makes it easier to cut into portions).
 
The best way to remove the tart from the tart pan is to ease the edge
from the side of the pan with a small knife, and then place the pan on an
upturned jar or a large can, which will allow you to carefully ease the ring
away from the tart. Next, slide a long, thin knife between the pan base and
the tart, and ease the tart onto a flat plate or board (or you can cut the tart
into serving portions straight from the pan’s base). Serve warm.
 
Easy Pie Crust
Mak es two 9-inch crusts
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1⁄3 cup cold milk
 
In a bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Measure the oil and milk in the
same liquid measuring cup, and add the mixture all at once to the flour
mixture. Stir with a spoon until the liquid has been absorbed and the dough
forms a ball.
 
Divide the dough in half. Dampen the countertop with a clean wet
cloth, and place a sheet of wax paper over the damp spot. Place one
portion of the dough on the wax paper. Place another sheet of wax paper
over the dough, and roll it out to the desired thickness for 1 crust.
Remove the top sheet of wax paper. Pick up the bottom sheet, and
invert it carefully over a pie plate. Remove the wax paper carefully, working
from the edge toward the center. Carefully ease the dough into the pie
plate. (Repeat this process for the second crust, or freeze the dough for a
later use.)
 
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
 
Fold under the edges of the dough to be even with the pie plate and
crimp or press with a fork. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a
fork to prevent bubbles. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is slightly
browned.