Tart Time

There will be a fitness post soon to follow, but for now let's talk about food. Shamefully I think I did more damage this Easter than at Thanksgiving. The meal included assorted olives, salamis, cheeses, turkey, roasted potatoes, spinach gnocchi, asparagus and for dessert, pastiera napoletana. I wish I had pictures to share of the feast, but the savages took to the platters before I could get my phone out.

Naturally, in order to prepare for the Romagnoli banquet on Sunday, I began increasing my intake on Friday. I spent the morning baking tarts with my friend, Tania (who deserves complete credit for these tasty recipes). We had originally planned on one tart, but what's better than one tart? Two tarts. Plus, sweet and savory is always the way to go. So, we ended up making an apple tart and a spinach tart, and thankfully I had friends to share them with because they were both deadly.

Dough (makes enough for two tarts):
  1 cup butter

  2⅔ cups flour

  1 tsp salt

  ½ cup ice water

The dough can be made ahead of time because the crust is flakier if it's chilled. The easiest way to make it is with a food processor: pulse all ingredients together, adding the ice water in increments, until the mixture resembles chunky crumbles. As long as all of the ingredients are well incorporated, it will hold together when pressed into a ball.

Separate ball into two patties and chill for 20 minutes (or longer).

Roll out patties on floured surface until they are about ⅛-in thick and press into two 11-inch tart pans with straight edges, not angled outwards.

Spinach tart filling: 

  1 pkg. chopped spinach, thawed

  1 large yellow onion, finely sliced

  3 pieces bacon, finely sliced

  1 cup gruyère cheese, shredded

  ½ cup white wine

  ½ cup milk

  1 egg 

  black pepper, to taste

  salt, to taste

Sauté spinach, onion, and bacon in lightly oiled pan on medium heat until onions are wilted, about 10-15 minutes. Add salt, to taste.

In a separate bowl, whisk together wine, milk and egg.

Cover bottom of tart with spinach mixture, top spinach mixture with the shredded gruyère and finally, pour wine mixture evenly over top. Top with ground black pepper. Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes. 

Apple tart filling: 

  3 large apples, sliced nice and thin

  ⅛ cup sugar

  ⅓ cup cream

  cinnamon, to taste

Arrange thinly sliced apples starting on the outer edges of the tart, moving inwards like a spiral. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over top. Bake at 425° F for 20 minutes. Turn oven off, pour cream over top and let sit in oven for 15 min or so. Indulge.