I got this nifty square tart pan (how could I have gone this long without a tart pan?!) with a gift certificate from Christmas.  I was itching to try it out, but I’m cutting back on sweets, so I was on the lookout for a savory tart idea.  I ended up using a balsamic vinegar crust from La Tartine Gourmande and a custardy filling of beets, goat cheese, and walnuts from alpineberry.  It was a delicious but light and simple supper.  Matt’s comment was “it’d be good as an appetizer, and smaller” — well, not a bad idea, maybe I’ll try it sometime with miniature tart pans.  Anyway, the night we made it, all we needed was something light and simple, and this fit the bill perfectly.  It was also pretty good leftover, at room temperature even.

The balsamic vinegar added a different little tang to the crust, and I think beets and goat cheese are always a great combination.  The only problem I had was that the tart shell shrank — a lot — but I think that was probably my own fault since I didn’t want to wait to let the dough rest after I made it.  So, if you try this out, I’d recommend letting the dough sit in the fridge at least an hour before rolling it out, and then refrigerate again before baking.

Beet and Goat Cheese Tart with Balsamic Crust

adapted from La Tartine Gourmande and alpineberry

For the crust:
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
7 T butter, cold
2 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 T cold water

For the tart:
2 beets
1 T butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 large eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
1/4 t dried thyme
8 oz goat cheese
1/2 c walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut butter into flour. Add balsamic vinegar and just enough water to bring the dough together. Shape into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least an hour.

Meanwhile, wrap the beets in foil and roast until they’re tender, about 1 hour. (Making the dough and roasting the beets can both be done up to a few days ahead.)

Roll out the dough and place in a tart pan and prick with a fork.  Refrigerate for at least 15-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 F and bake for 20 minutes or so, until lightly golden.

For the filling, heat butter over medium heat.  Cook the onion in the butter until tender and a little bit caramelized.  Slice the beets and cut the slices into chunks.

Combine the beaten eggs, cream, and thyme, and season with pepper and a little salt.

Place the beets and onions in the bottom of the tart.  Pour over the custard.  Sprinkle with goat cheese and walnuts.  Bake about 35 minutes at 375 F until set and golden.

Tags: beets, cheese, fancy, goat cheese, Main Dish, tart, Vegetable, vegetarian

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 at 12:21 am and is filed under Appetizers, Main Dish, Recipes, Vegetable. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.