Swiss Chard and Gorgonzola Tart

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Yield: Serves 4-6

SWISS CHARD AND GORGONZOLA TART

Swiss chard has mild, earthy and slightly bitter leaves, while the stalks are sweeter and almost beet-like in taste. Using both parts of this hardy green and pairing it with creamy, full-flavoured gorgonzola makes for a savoury tart that simply can’t be ignored.

Ingredients:

Gorgonzola-Ricotta Mix

• ½ cup (120 ml) gorgonzola dolce
• 1 cup (240 ml) ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper

 Swiss Chard:

• Olive oil, for sauté
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
• Salt and pepper
• 8 large rainbow chard leaves, cut 2 inches (5 cm) past where the leaves finish

Tart Crust:

• ¾ cup (180 ml) flour
• ½ cup (120 ml) whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) icing sugar
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
• 1 lemon, zest only
• ½ cup (120 ml) cold butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cold water

To Finish:

• ½ cup (120 ml) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

Method:

For the Gorgonzola-Ricotta Mix:

Mix gorgonzola and ricotta together in a small bowl.

Add egg to gorgonzola mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk to combine. Set aside.

For the Swiss Chard:

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.

Add onion and cook until soft and golden, 5-6 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.

Add the thyme and cook for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature and set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the chard for 30 seconds, then transfer to an ice bath.

Remove chard from water and pat dry. Reserve.

For the Tart Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C)

To a food processor, add flour, whole wheat flour, icing sugar, salt, lemon zest and butter.

Pulse into a sandy texture. Drizzle in cold water while pulsing into a loose dough.

Using your hands, transfer dough to work surface and pack together into disk. Do not knead. Wrap in plastic and allow to chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Roll the chilled dough out on a floured work surface into a large 20 inch by 8-inch (51cm by 20.5 cm) rectangle.

Transfer rolled out dough to a parchment lined baking sheet.

To Finish:

Spread a thin layer of the ricotta-gorgonzola mixture on the bottom of the dough, leaving a one-inch (2.5 cm) border around.

Spread the onion mixture on top. Lay the chard leaves over the cheese and onion mixtures, exposing the different color stems.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Fold the edges of the dough inward to cover part of the filling, press in all 4 corners and brush with beaten egg.

Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Garnish with more grated Parmesan. Slice and serve.