A Delectable Fresh Leek and Gruyere Tart
You know that one dish that everyone remembers you for? This is it!
“If someone says you eat too much cheese, Ghost Them. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. “ Unknown
I will never forget the night about 6 years ago that my darling neighbor Michelle leaned over the row of blackberries on our shared fence line and said" do you and Jim have any plans tonight?"" Let me convince you to come over for dinner!" Then she began to regale me with descriptions of sliced fresh peaches, grass fed filet, fresh sweet corn and the piece de resistance.. A fresh leek and gruyere tart!
So began a delightfully spontaneous evening spent with dear friends and their adorable children, a couple of bottles of perfect Zinfandel and that utterly delicate and unforgettable tart!
This wonderful tart has only 5 ingredients; gruyere cheese, butter, cream , leeks and a crust. Just take a store bought pie crust ( I like Trader Joes!) and mold it into a fluted tart pan. Set aside.
Then sauté 3 chopped leeks in 2 tablespoons of butter. Add 1 cup of cream and simmer for a minute and then stir in 1 and 1/4 cups of shredded gruyere cheese. Pour the leek mixture into the tart shell, sprinkle with shredded parmesan and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven. Allow to sit for ten minutes, and then cut it into wedges and serve!
You owe it to yourself to make this at least once! I have also added to the recipe by simmering some thinly sliced oyster mushrooms in the leek and cream mixture, which gives this tart a meatier texture and flavor. The other thing I love to do in the spring is add a couple of cups of sliced wild ramps into the leek mixture. Warning, they don’t call these wild leeks for nothing, they are strong, but they are really delicious. This tart is wonderful as a side dish, but a simple side salad and a luscious glass of wine is all that's needed to turn this into a perfect meal!
Here’s an article that I wrote for the Herb Society of America several years ago about Foraging for and harvesting wild leeks.
Click Here for The Serious Eats Cheese and Wine Pairing Cheat Sheet
This is a really great, simple yet fairly detailed article that will help you choose just the right wine to enjoy with that delicious piece of _____________ that you brought home from the market.
Thymeless Quotes:
“How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?” Charles de Gaulle
Do you have any wonderful cheese memories? Favorite recipes? I’d love to know about them. Drop me a note in the comments or DM me on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook.