Herbed Ricotta Tart

90 comments - 08.13.2009
ricotta tart

I don’t think I’ve ever made a savory tart, until now, which marks the mid-point in my life. And after this one, I’m wondering-what took me so long? I also sometimes lie awake at night and wonder if this really is the mid-point in my life. But that’s a whole nother post because it has nothing to do with baking. (Although that hasn’t stopped me before…)

Neuroses aside, this tart may look fancy, but it’s one of the simplest thing to make that you could imagine. True, it does require a bit of chopping and cooking, but there’s no mountains of long-cooked onions like pissaladière, it doesn’t call for an artery-busting even-handed pour of cream, and it’s wonderful served warm or at room temperature. And it’s even better the next day, when the top gets crusty-brown during reheating. What’s not to like?
sauteed bunch of allium

I made this tart on the spur of the moment after leafing through the excellent book, Local Flavors by Deborah Madison, which explores all of the magnificent produce from the diverse greenmarkets and small-scale farms spread out across America.

The long green stemmed ‘onions’ that I used were labeled cive at the market, which after much research, doesn’t seem to translates into English.* The closest thing I’ve seen elsewhere is green garlic, so in a Napoléonic sweep of power, I decree that you can use them. Otherwise scallions would work well. Or wild leeks, or even ramps, which I’ve never seen in Paris.

This recipe jumped out at me (well, not literally, which would’ve meant I’m having Joan of Arc-like schizophrenic visions, which is kinda scary) as I had a baked tart shell that was dangerously close to being smashed to smithereens in the chaos that I call “my freezer”. Plus I had just made a batch of homemade ricotta cheese and thought this would be the ideal way to highlight it. If you’re not as ambitious as I am, don’t sweat it. Deb’s original recipe called for fresh goat cheese, which I’m sure is amazing.

Because fresh ricotta is less intense than goat cheese, you could certainly add more fresh herbs than called for if using the former. And don’t limit yourself to thyme; a handful of chopped fresh oregano, chervil, mint, or basil added to the filling just before pouring it into the tart shell would work.
crème fraîche tart filling

I added some spicy Spanish chorizo to the recipe but you could omit it, or add cooked, smoky bacon bits instead. I know some of you would like to swap out the crème fraîche or heavy cream, but since it’s only 1/2 cup for eight servings, it’s really not all that much. And it didn’t bother me one whit. Heck, I even enjoyed a re-warmed square of this tart as part of my late-summer diet.
dinner

Considering you’ll get about eight serving out of this tart, it’s only one tablespoon of cream per portion. If you’re on a régime, simply follow my example and eat a small portion. Then fill up the rest of the plate with fresh vegetables, like I did, with tomatoes and green beans. Or you could be contrary and try swapping out whole milk for the cream. Just don’t tell me about it; I have enough things to worry about.
ricotta tart

Herbed Ricotta Tart

Adapted from Local Flavors: Cooking & Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets (Broadway) by Deborah Madison

I mentioned a few variations above, but in the future, I’m going to try this with feta cheese in place of the ricotta or goat cheese, black olives, and some cooked, (very) well-drained, chopped spinach for a Greek-style version.

UPDATE: Judging from the responses in the comments, most are in agreement that these are simply a variety of spring onions that I used. So I’ve noted that in the list of ingredients. You can use green garlic, scallions, leeks, or ramps in their place, if you can’t find spring onions where you live.

half-pound (250g) spring onions (See headnote)
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for sprinkling over the finished tart
8 ounces (285g) fresh goat cheese or fresh ricotta
1 large egg
1/2 cup (125ml) crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/2 cup (125ml) whole milk
2 ounces (55g) spicy Spanish-style chorizo sausage, finely diced
salt and freshly-ground pepper

one pre-baked 9-inch (22cm) tart shell (see Note)

1. Slice the spring onions into 1/2-inch (2cm) pieces. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook over medium heat, seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper, until tender and cooked through. When you remove it from the heat, stir in the fresh thyme and let cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)

3. In a large bowl, crumble the goat cheese or ricotta, then mix in the egg, crème fraîche or cream, milk, chorizo, and a bit more salt and pepper along with the onions.

(If you wish to use any other chopped, fresh herbs, add them now as well.)

4. Scrape the filling into the pre-baked tart shell and baking until just set and slightly-browned on top, 20-30 minutes. (As you can see, I used a rectangular mold. If using a different-sized tart pan, the baking time may vary. In which case, bake until it just feels set in the center.)

5. Let the tart cool briefly, then serve either warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the top of the tart before serving.

Note: You could use the recipe for French Tart Dough, omitting the sugar, or Clotilde’s Olive Oil Crust.

Zuni’s Pickled Red Onion Recipe

When I arrived in France a few years ago, I was a surprised to find that red onions are rare and cost nearly four-times the price of yellow onions. I reasoned that although French cuisine uses lots of onions, most often they’re cooked to enhance their sweetness, and they become an essential backdrop for braises, stews, and casseroles…and most-notably in French Onion Soup. So why use the red ones if they’re going to get lost?

The rose-colored onions of Roscoff, a small port village off the north coast of Brittany, which faces England, are considered a delicacy in France. Beginning back in 1828, French farmers would load up boats with these pink onions to sell them from their bicycles in England, where the farmers were affectionately dubbed “Johnnies” by the Brits.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite books, The Zuni Café Cookbook (which everyone should own). Like all of chef Judy Rodger’s recipes, this one is a winner. The onions are tangy and sweet, and keep their nice crunch. They’re perfect on hamburgers and Mexican food, as well as a nice condiment for any sandwich.
pickles.jpg

The Zuni Café’s Red Onion Pickles

Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers

Judy’s recipe calls for 1 pound of red onions, peeled and sliced into rings. Make a brine with 3 cups white vinegar, 1½ cups of sugar, cinnamon stick, a few cloves, allspice berries and peppercorns. Add 2 bay leaves and a small dried chili, then bring it all to a boil in a 4-quart non-reactive saucepan.

Simmer the onion rings, in three separate batches (that means, one-third of the onion rings at a time), for 20 seconds each (20 seconds for each batch) in the brine. Remove onions to a baking sheet using a slotted spoon to drain them, and let cool.

Then you do it again, simmer the onions in three separate batches, for 20 seconds each. Drain them, and cool.

Then you do it again…simmer the onions in three separate batches (yes, have you memorized it yet?… 20 seconds each…then drain them and let them cool.)

Finally you chill the brine thoroughly. Once chilled, add the onions and store in the refrigerator.

Oven Baked Fish Chowder

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Active Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Chowder is a tradition in my family. My mother always made red clam chowder, known as Manhattan-Style Chowder. My mother-in-law prefers to make a creamy white chowder, known as New England Clam Chowder. My favorite is neither red nor white, but a clear chowder with lots of clams and tender potatoes cooked in a simple broth. But everyone loves this recipe for fish chowder because it is so easy to make.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
2 pounds cod, haddock or any firm white fish, bones removed
3 cups cubed russet potatoes
2 cups hot fish stock or water
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup milk or light cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Oven Baked Fish Chowder Recipe at Cooking.com
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DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients except milk and parsley in 4-quart ovenproof casserole. Cover and bake until fish flakes into pieces and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.


Transfer casserole to stovetop. Slowly stir in milk. Simmer gently over low heat until rewarmed, about 5 minutes. Add parsley. Serve immediately.