Mar

25

Gorgonzola, apple and leek tart

March 25, 2009 | 3 Comments


I prepared this tart last week for the first time and I’m very satisfied with the result. I used Gorgonzola, one of my favorite cheeses, rennet apples and leeks. I made the tart shell with spelt flour and walnuts to give the tart a rustic touch and to give a balanced taste. The Gorgonzola I used is blue-veined, strong Gorgonzola, the so-called “two-curds cheese”. There’s also another more common variety in Italy which is white, creamy and slightly spicy and used in several dishes like Celery and Gorgonzola. Rennet apples are a tart Italian apple with a soft flesh that tastes better when cooked. They’re perfect for apple cakes and pies, if you don’t find them you can substitute them with Fuji.

You can serve the tart as an appetizer cut in small portions or as a main dish accompanied with green salad. I don’t know about you but a small portion is not enough for me when one of the main ingredients is Gorgonzola cheese. I actually invited my parents to share the tart with because I didn’t want to risk eating it all by myself. They loved it as much as I did. Even my little one devoured it and I can tell you I was pretty surprised that he liked such a strong cheese as Gorgonzola. Don’t be surprised if your kids will appreciate it too.

Ingredients:

For the tart crust:
1 3/4 cups whole white unbleached spelt flour
1/4 finely chopped walnuts
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. ice water

For the filling:
4 oz. spicy Gorgonzola cheese
1 rennet apple chopped in small cubes, about 3/4 cup
1 medium leek – white and light green part only – thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. sea salt

Preparation:

For the tart shell:
Cut the butter into the flour until the butter bits resemble oatmeal. Add enough ice water to form a ball. Roll the dough on a light floured surface into a round about 1/8 inch thick.
Place the dough over a 10 inch fluted tart with a removable bottom and gently press it without stretching it. Trim any excess dough. Cover it with a plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 400°, cover the dough with aluminum foil and fill it with dry beans or pie weights. Cook the dough for 20 minutes then remove the foil and weights and cook for 10 more minutes until light golden. Remove the tart shell from the oven and let it cool.

The filling:
Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a skillet, add the sliced leek and the cubed apples. Cook them over medium heat until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Fill and bake:
Heat the oven to 300° F. Cover the underside and the edges of the tart pan with aluminum foil.
Distribute the leeks and apples on the tart shell. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola evenly between the leeks and apples. Whisk the eggs with milk and add 1 tsp. of salt then pour the egg mixture over the top. bake until the custard is set in the middle about 45 minutes. Let the tart cool to room temperature before serving.

Notes:

This recipe is inspired from The best of Fine Cooking Appetizers (Holiday 2007)

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Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. Gina on March 25, 2009 5:07 pm

    In the list of ingredients you have 4 oz. right above the eggs….what do I need 4 oz. of for this wonderful looking tart. Also, would Granny Smith apples work in this recipe?
    Thanks,
    Gini

  2. admin on March 26, 2009 6:09 am

    @gina: the 4oz. were a mistake, thank you for telling me. About the apples I think you can try with Granny Smith but cook them a little bit more because they’re completely different in texture and crisper than Rennet apples. Let me know if you make it.

  3. South of Rome on March 26, 2009 8:56 am

    The title of this set my mouth to watering!! It sounds amazing.

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