Italian Chard Tart Food

SWISS CHARD, RAISIN, AND PINE NUT TART

Steps:

• Bring raisins and water to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour. Drain in a colander, then pat dry with paper towels. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Blanch chard in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain chard in a colander, then squeeze out excess water by handfuls. Coarsely chop chard.
• Whisk together egg, cream, granulated sugar, zest, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Stir in pine nuts, raisins, and chard until combined.
• Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 15- by 11-inch rectangle and fit into tart pan (do not trim edges). Chill shell while rolling out top.
• Roll out smaller piece of dough on a lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin into a 12- by 9-inch rectangle. Spread chard filling evenly into shell, then top with second rectangle of dough. Using a rolling pin, roll over edges of pan to seal tart and trim edges, discarding scraps. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a paring knife, then put tart in pan on a baking sheet. Bake until top is golden, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes, then remove side of pan. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

ITALIAN-STYLE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Wash the Swiss chard and cut into 1 inch strips. Separate the thick and tough stalk sections from the upper leafy strips.
• Bring the water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Cook the stalk sections in the salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Stir in the leafy strips and cook until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are fork tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the drained Swiss chard, cook and stir for 2 minutes; season with salt to taste.

SWISS CHARD AND HERB TART

Steps:

• Make the crust: Put the flour, sugar and fine salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together, adding up to 2 more tablespoons ice water if needed. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk; wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface. Ease into the prepared pan and press into the bottom and up the side; trim to make a 2-inch-high crust. Prick the bottom a few times with a fork; refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the dough-lined pan on a baking sheet. Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are just lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights; continue baking until the crust is lightly golden all over, 15 to 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. (The crust can be made a day ahead; cover and store at room temperature.)
• Make the filling: Thinly slice the Swiss chard leaves and cut the stems into 1/4-inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chard stems, season with kosher salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the dill and lemon zest and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the chard leaves and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Let the filling cool, then squeeze out the excess moisture.
• Transfer the filling to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the shredded cheddar, half-and-half, parmesan, egg and nutmeg. Pour into the crust and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Top immediately with shaved cheddar and let melt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SWISS CHARD AND HERB TART

Steps:

• Cook chard in large pot of boiling salted water until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain. Squeeze out liquid. Chop chard.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; saut 1 minute. Add chard; sauté until excess liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes. Transfer chard mixture to large bowl. Cool slightly. Mix in ricotta and next 7 ingredients.
• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 14-inch square. Transfer pastry to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fill pastry with chard mixture. Lightly brush pastry overhang with pastry brush dipped into water. Roll out second pastry sheet to 13-inch square. Using tart pan as guide, trim pastry square to 10-inch round. Drape over filling. Seal edges and fold in.
• Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Remove pan sides from tart. Transfer to platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

ITALIAN-STYLE SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• 1. Place the chard in a large stockpot with the rinse water still clinging to it and set on medium-high heat. When the chard begins to sizzle stir it and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chard is wilted but still has texture and the leaves have turned dark green while the stems have turned a translucent grey, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 2. Heat at least 2 tablespoons of oil with the garlic in a skillet over medium heat and cook until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, squeezing out some of the liquid before adding it to the oil. Cook, stirring, until the Swiss chard has wilted entirely and the garlic is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and transfer to a warmed platter. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.