Mushroom Leek Tarts Food

LEEK, MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim fennel of green top and root end, reserving fronds, and quarter bulb from top to bottom. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, cut fennel and leeks into paper-thin slices. Clean and slice mushrooms.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; add fennel and leeks and sauté until just tender but not brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and sauté until they release all their liquid and most of it boils away, about 5 minutes. Combine fennel mixture with mushrooms and sauté together briefly; season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat.
• Unfold puff pastry onto lightly floured surface; cut in half lengthwise to form two long rectangles. Gently roll out each rectangle to approximately 5 by 14 inches and place on cookie sheet (or cut into two circles, if desired). Trim edges by 1/4 inch strips all around; set strips aside. Break one egg into a small bowl; beat slightly. Brush edges of pastry with some egg. Use trimmed strips to make a raised border on each. (Or, fold pastry edges over to form a rim.) Brush entire surface with remaining beaten egg. Prick interior of pastry all over with a fork. Bake until pale gold, about 10 minutes. If pastry has puffed up inside edge, press it down gently. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining eggs with 6 ounces goat cheese and blend until smooth. Spread onto pastry. Return to oven and bake just until set, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with mushroom-leek mixture. Crumble remaining cheese on top. Just before serving, broil tarts on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until tarts are warm and cheese softens. Garnish with fennel fronds.

MUSHROOM, LEEK, AND GRUYèRE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
• On a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit a rimmed baking sheet, roll the puff pastry sheet into a 10-by-10-inch square, gently smoothing out any creases in the pastry. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border all along the outer edge and being careful not to cut all the way through the pastry. Carefully slide the parchment with the scored pastry onto a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate while you prepare the topping.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When it bubbles, toss in the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the leeks and cook until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and cook until they're soft but not yet releasing any liquid. Dump the mushroom filling in a strainer situated over a bowl and let drain for a few minutes.
• Spoon the mushroom filling onto the pastry, being careful to stay inside the scored lines. Either reserve the strained mushroom liquid for making vegetable stock or discard it. Grind fresh black pepper, if using, over the topping.
• Bake the tart for 15 minutes, checking the puff pastry after 10 minutes. If the pasty is already golden brown, cover the exposed pastry edges with foil strips to prevent it from turning too brown. After the first 15 minutes, remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle it with the cheese. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted and the pastry is golden brown. Again, it may be necessary to cover the outer edges with foil.
• Let cool for 5 minutes and then slice into squares or rectangles. This tart is best eaten as soon as it is cool enough to handle. (Any leftover mushroom leek tart can be wrapped and refrigerated, but the pastry will suffer. To reheat, pop under the broiler for a few minutes. Whatever you do, don't reheat the tart in the microwave.)

ROASTED MUSHROOM AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH TART

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a medium bowl, sprinkle dry yeast and sugar over 2/3 cup/158 milliliters warm water. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes, then add oil.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flours and salt, then stir in yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until dough is uniform and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, adding more flour if needed. (Flour your hands if necessary to keep dough from sticking.) Or, if the dough seems a bit dry, add a bit more water.
• Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn dough to coat it with oil, cover with a damp cloth and let rest in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours (or longer if you kitchen is cold or drafty).
• Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms and leeks with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread squash and mushroom mixtures out evenly on their respective pans and roast until lightly browned at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes for the mushrooms, 18 to 22 for the squash. Don't let the vegetables get too brown, you will be cooking them again. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack and let vegetables cool. (You can roast the vegetables up to 8 hours in advance.)
• Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Roll dough out on a floured surface to an 11- by 16-inch/28- by 41-centimeter rectangle, then transfer to oiled baking sheet and press the dough out to the sides. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Heat oven back to 450 degrees. Spread mushroom mixture over dough, sprinkle with thyme and red pepper flakes and top with squash. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then with cheese, then drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden brown all over, 14 to 18 minutes. Serve hot or warm, sprinkled with chives if desired and lemon juice to taste.

LEEK, MUSHROOM & GRUYèRE QUICHE

Steps:

• To make the pastry, tip the flour and butter into a bowl, then rub together with your fingertips until completely mixed and crumbly. Add 8 tbsp cold water, then bring everything together with your hands until just combined. Roll into a ball and use straight away or chill for up to 2 days. The pastry can also be frozen for up to a month.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a round about 5cm larger than a 25cm tin. Use your rolling pin to lift it up, then drape over the tart case so there is an overhang of pastry on the sides. Using a small ball of pastry scraps, push the pastry into the corners of the tin (see picture, above left). Chill in the fridge or freezer for 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• While the pastry is chilling, heat the butter in a pan and cook the leeks for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Then turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 5 mins more, then turn off the heat.
• Lightly prick the base of the tart with a fork, line the tart case with a large circle of greaseproof paper or foil, then fill with baking beans. Blind-bake the tart for 20 mins, remove the paper and beans, then continue to cook for 5-10 mins until biscuit brown
• While the tart case cooks, beat the eggs in a bowl, then gradually add the cream. Stir in the leeks, mushrooms and half the cheese. Season, then tip the filling into the tart case. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, then bake for 20-25 mins until set and golden brown. Leave to cool in the case, trim the edges of the pastry, then remove and serve in slices.