I feel like the majority of my recipes are quick, easy, and require minimal effort to throw together. But every once in a while I like to do a show stopper, a dish worthy of the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. The garden tart is one of those. It is fiddly, time-consuming, and has many steps, but the result not only looks incredible, it tastes as good as it looks.
Living in southern California has spoiled me in the sense that I can get most produce year round, and it is pretty darn good. Yes, certain things are better during their peak season, but let’s face it, we Angelenos are pretty lucky. So while I used zucchini and summer squash in for the garden tart recipe, it is not a must! Use what you can find at your grocery stores and farmer’s markets. Some great alternatives would be multi-colored carrots, purple potatoes or purple sweet potatoes, leeks, or substitute red onions for brown, you get the idea. The key is roasting whatever veggies you decide to use, so that the water cooks out and they are soft enough to roll into spirals.
I haven’t perfected my pie crust recipe yet, I wish I had a video to show you all of how making crust usually ends up for me; I do everything “right” then sort of pour a crumbling, buttery mess onto some plastic wrap and refrigerate. When I get to the rolling out portion, disaster strikes. Long story short, it needs some work. So if you feel confident in your crust skills, make enough for one 9” tart pan, or buy pre-made crust if you prefer and roll it out.
The Garden Tart
Makes one 9” tart
Filling:
1 c. ricotta cheese
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
½ t. dried oregano
½ t. dried sage
½ t. dried rosemary
½ t. freshly ground pepper
½ t. salt
Veggies:
1 brown onion
1 sweet potato
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
½ c. multi-colored cherry tomatoes
2 T. olive oil
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. onion powder
1 pie crust
1. Dice the onion and place in a sauté pan with olive oil over medium low heat to caramelize. Stir often.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using a mandolin, slice the veggies horizontally; we want them long and thin. If you don’t own a mandolin, use a sharp knife and carefully slice as thin as you can. Brush veggies with olive oil and place in a single layer on parchment papered baking sheets. I used two sheets. Sprinkle with all the spices then bake for 10 minutes, flip veggies and bake another 10 minutes, watching carefully. If they begin to brown, remove from the oven; crispy vegetables don’t roll well.
3. Prepare the crust. Roll out to desired thickness then press into a buttered 9” tart pan. Blind bake for 20 min, ensuring foil is covering the edges to prevent it getting too brown. (Blind baking: place a large square of foil over the crust then fill with about 2 cups of dried beans and bake.) Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Once the crust has cooled slightly, spread filling in an even layer on the bottom of the tart. Next, sprinkle on the caramelized onions. Roll the baked vegetables into spirals, if they are too small, add another piece and continue rolling. Nestle them down into the filling in no particular order. Last, slice the cherry tomatoes in half and fill in all the gaps between the veggie spirals.
5.Bake for about thirty minutes or until the crust is deep golden brown. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Bon appetite!
