A great addition to your Thanksgiving Table or any table for that matter…
With its earthy mushrooms and sweet leeks, this quiche-like tart is a perfect side or perfect for lunch all by itself. A weekly pilgrimage to Marilee’s Farmstand in Sagaponack, NY is always a treat. From early Spring to the first frost, there is a beautiful array of vegetables that change with the seasons. You can order ahead at www.marileesfarmstand.com/ I was attracted to the leeks remembering this tart. With some fresh oyster and dried porcini mushrooms in hand, I made it. I confess to cheating a bit. I am not the baker in our house so I used Pillsbury Pie Crust from the supermarket. Honestly, I don’t think anyone was the wiser—except, of course, Andrew, who’d know homemade from store-bought from 100 yards away. If you’d like to make your own crust, follow the recipe for Pate Brisée below then follow the instructions for making the tart.
That Foster Family farm in Sagaponack still operates is a bit of a miracle:
The land is so valuable that mostly what has sprouted up in the neighboring fields are multi-million dollar houses. Sagaponack was listed as the most expensive Zip code in New York. But the Fosters carry on. The soil in Sagaponack is said to be about the best on the East Coast. Left behind millennia ago when the glaciers retreated, it’s six feet of loam in places! So you can imagine how beautiful everything that’s grown there is.
Here’s the recipe and some other side dishes to consider.
It’s really quite easy and you’ll have enough for 8 wedges. Do not refrigerate any leftovers as the crust will go soggy in the refrigerator. Leave it out and I can almost guarantee it won’t be there very long.
Pate Brisée
Pâte Brisée is a rich pastry dough used especially to make flaky tart shells.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water
Directions
- Step 1 Process flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream just until the dough comes together. (Do not process more than 30 seconds.)
- Step 2 Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough, and shape it into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
Wild Mushroom and Leek Tart
Earthy mushrooms, sweet leeks and flaky pastry make this quiche-like tart a perfect side dish or ideal for lunch all by itself.
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces (3/4 pound) mixed wild mushrooms (chanterelles, shiitake, cremini, etc.), woody stems ends trimmed and brushed clean with a soft brush
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large leeks, halved lengthwise and well rinsed, and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
Directions
- Step 1 First Prepare the Crust. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you begin to roll. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a 14- by 10-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Drape over the rolling pin and transfer to a 13- by 9-inch ceramic tart dish or a 12-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Without stretching, ease the pastry into the corners of the dish. Fold any overhanging dough back over itself and press together to build up the rim about 1/4 inch above the top of the dish (this will compensate for shrinkage). Prick the base with a fork.
- Step 2 Chill for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line the dish with parchment paper or foil and fill it with ceramic pie weights, rice, or beans, pressing them gently into the corners. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges begin to shrink away from the dish. Remove the paper and weights and bake for about 4 minutes more, until the base appears dry.
- Step 3 Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 375ºF. (Or, you could cool the crust on a rack for up to 2 hours before proceeding.) Do not fill the pastry until just before cooking.
- Step 4 Make the filling. In a small saucepan, bring the milk up to just below the boiling point. Remove from the heat, add the porcini, and swirl to cover all the mushrooms. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Step 5 Squeeze the porcini mushrooms firmly, draining the milk back into the pan. Chop the porcini and strain the milk to remove any grit. Set both aside. Slice the fresh mushrooms.
- Step 6 Preheat the oven to 375ºF, if it is not already hot from cooking the pastry. In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the shallots over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until softened, Add all the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and all their liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Step 7 In the same pan, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté over low heat, covered, until completely tender but not browned, about 12 minutes. Stir in the tarragon, season with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook for one minute more.
- Step 8 In a bowl, quickly but thoroughly whisk together the porcini-soaking milk, cream, eggs, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Step 9 Assemble the Tart: Spread the base of the pre-baked crust evenly with the mustard and then spread the mushroom and the leek mixtures evenly in the crust. Pour the custard over the vegetables and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until all but the very center is set and lightly browned.
- Step 10 Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
