Swiss Chard and Parmesan Tart

This is a staple in our house; I make it at least once a week.  It's delicious, not too much work (if you own a food processor), and an easy way to get greens into kids and husbands.  I generally try to chock it as full of chard as possible, so I usually use two big bunches.  I only got one bunch in our CSA, and given that I'm trying to be economical I went with it.  The tart was still a big hit; both kids gobbled down huge portions and asked for seconds.

Tart Dough

 

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour or 3/4 cup unbleached a-p flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I often use King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, works great)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 - 10 pieces

4 -5 tablespoons ice water

 

1. Place the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor.  Pulse several times to combine.

 

2. Place the butter in the work bowl.  Pulse 10 - 15 times, until the mixture resembles pea-size crumbs.

 

3. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition.  After 4 tablespoons water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if it is coming together into a ball.  If not, add the remaining tablespoon water (I always need 5).  Once the dough seems to be coming together, continue processing until it comes together into a ball.  Remove the dough from the food processor.

 

4. Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk.  Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

 

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle.  Lay the dough over the tart pan and press it into the pan.  Trip the dough and proceed with tart recipe as directed.

 

Swiss Chard and Parmesan Tart

 

1 Recipe Basic Tart Dough

1 pound swiss chard (I always use two bunches)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup shredded (grated works as well, though the shredded makes a prettier tart) Parmesan cheese

 

1. Prepare the dough and fit it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Refrigerate while preparing the filling.  (It can be refrigerated for several hours in the pan.)

 

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Remove and discard teh stems from the swiss chard.  Tear off the green portions from either side of the rib that runs down the center of each leaf.  Discard the ribs.  Wash, dry and corsely chop the leaves.  Set aside.

 

3. Heat the oil in a large saute pan.  Add the garlic and saute over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes.  Add the chard and cook, stirring often, until the leaves have completely wilted and all the liquid in the pan has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a fork.  Stir in the cheese and the chard mixture.  Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tart pan.

 

5.  Bake until the filling is set in the center and turns golden brown in spots, 40 - 45 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  (My oven cooks very quickly, so this is generally ready in about 25 minutes.  I've made it many places, and the cooking time really does vary widely.)