Oh me. Oh my. Is this fancy (yet simple to make) tart GOOD.
I do not cook with leeks often, and tend to forget about their existence. Recently a good friend of mine sent me another variation of this recipe. She had made it 4 times over the holidays and insisted that I must try it. SO, with some modifications I did. and oh holy heavens. You guys have got to make this tart. Make it for dinner, make it as an appetizer, make and bring it to any get together that you ever attend.
Many ask me time and again if Goat Cheese is considered dairy. Yes, and no. It is technically dairy but from what I understand the composition of lactose and casein in goat and sheep’s products is different than cows. Its easier to digest and tends to be a safe option for many individuals (like myself) that need to be cautious of cows dairy.
Lets get to the baking..
For the crust I created a really simple press in dough that is free of eggs and starch. On this site already I have two phenomenal pie crust recipes that would also work really well in this recipe. Check out my Pate Brisee which is gluten free/ grain based (great for those that need to avoid nuts). And my Grain Free (roll out) pie crust. which is made out of almond flour like this one- it differs in that it contains some starch and has an amazing almost biscuit flavor. If using either of these two crust’s you will not need to pre-bake the crust. Just add a few minutes to the end baking time instead if needed.
Grain Free Leek & Goat Cheese Tart
Crust
- 3 Cups Blanched Almond Flour (Or other nut/seed flour of choice) *Coconut will not work.
- 2 Tbs Butter (Earth Balance, Goat’s Butter OR Coconut Oil).
- 1/4 Tsp Salt.
- 1/4 Tsp. Baking Powder
- 1 Tbs Water.
Filling
- 2 Leeks Chopped (rinsed well to remove grit and then towel dried).
- 2 Tbs Butter ( (Earth Balance, Goat’s Butter , Coconut Oil or other oil of choice)
- 1/4 Tsp Salt.
- 1/2 Tsp Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream (For cow’s dairy free use: MimicCreme or heavy coconut milk from a can or evaporated goats milk from a can.)
- 8 ounces Chèvre Goats Cheese.
- Make the tart crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor combine all ingredients until well mixed. Press the crust into a 9 inch round tart pan. (Tip: use the bottom of a cup to press the dough out evenly). Place into oven and bake 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through. You will know its cooked once the dough does not feel soft to touch. Cover the top edges of the tart crust after the first 15 minutes of baking (or else it will burn). Remove from oven and set aside while preparing the filling.
- Make the filling: In a skillet combine the chopped leaks and butter. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder and Saute over medium heat for roughly 5 minutes until the leeks have started to wilt. (Make sure they still have their great green color- if you cook them too long they will start to look quite drab.) After these 5 minutes pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil and then remove from heat.
- Break up the pieces of goat cheese and gently mix in with the cooked leek mixture. Once combined spoon into the prepared crust.
- Again, cover the edges of the tart to prevent burning and then place back into the 350 degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. After this I like to turn the broiler on to give the top some color. I left my tart under the broiler for roughly 5 minutes (Please keep a close eye if you do this, a lot can happen in 1 minutes time).
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle a little extra pinch of salt and pepper on top!
Store covered in the fridge! I found it tastes the very best if you put it into the fridge after baking for a good 4 hours. For whatever reason doing this makes the crust become flaky! It tastes even better the next day as the flavors mesh beautifully. Serve it warmed up or chilled- either way it tastes great.
-Brittany-
PS. This crust will work great for other pies and tarts and quiches- both sweet and savory! I recommend pre-baking it for most applications. It will work only for press- in dough type applications. If you need to roll out and layer use one of my other two recipes!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Looks totallly yum! You were going to link to other crusts that didn’t use nuts?
Yep- I link it towards the top. It’s called Pâté Brisee
Just one question….how do you cover the top edge of the crust?
Thanks for the recipe!
In most stores with any baking supplies you can find a crust shield. It tends to be a ring that fits over a standard sized pie or tart pan. In a pinch you could also use tinfoil.