Savory Farro Tart Food

SAVORY FARRO TART

Steps:

• Cook farro in a 2- to 3-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes; drain in a sieve and cool to room temperature.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter dish and lightly coat with bread crumbs, knocking out excess.
• Melt butter (2 tablespoons) in a small heavy skillet over low heat and cook garlic, stirring, 1 minute, then transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in farro, ricotta, whole egg, yolks, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until combined well. Spoon mixture into dish and bake until just set and top is pale golden, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool to warm on a rack. Cut into wedges and serve.
• *Available at farawayfoods.com.

SAVORY POTATO TART

Steps:

• Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl (or use a food processor or a stand mixer with paddle attachment). Add half the butter and mix well, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add remaining butter chunks and the water and mix until dough comes together. Remove dough, divide into two equal pieces and dust with flour. Quickly form each piece into a ball, then press down to make two 1-inch-thick disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (May be made a day in advance or frozen for up to 2 weeks.)
• Slice potatoes as thinly as possible, using a sharp knife, mandolin or food processor. Put potato slices in a large bowl and add crème fraîche, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic and thyme. Mix well with hands, making sure all slices are coated and seasoning is well distributed. Set aside.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out each pastry disk to 12 1/2 inches in diameter. Line an 11-inch fluted French tart pan (with removable bottom) with one sheet of pastry, pressing in at the sides and leaving a 1-inch overlap hanging.
• Add the potatoes to the tart pan in even layers, making sure to scrape in all remaining crème fraîche with a rubber spatula. Lay the second pastry sheet on top. With a paring knife, trim excess dough and crimp the edges all around to seal. Make a few slits in the dough to allow steam to escape. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set tart on it. Stir egg yolk and cream together and paint the top of the tart generously.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour more, until top is golden and potatoes are tender when probed with a paring knife. Cool slightly, then set tart pan over a small, sturdy bowl, so that the bottom of the tart pan is elevated and the fluted ring comes off. Carefully transfer tart to a plate. Serve small slices, hot or at room temperature. May be cooled completely and reheated if desired.

SAVORY BREAKFAST TART

Steps:

• Crust:.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
• Chopped chilled butter into 1/4 inch pieces and mix in flour and salt. Add water until dough holds together loosely.
• Shape into a 5"x5" disc and wrap in cling wrap; chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Press dough into tart pan using "lift and pinch" method. Poke 3-4 times with fork. Line with parchment paper or tin foil, and fill with baking beads or rice.
• Bake for 15 minutes, remove parchment and baking beads, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• Filling:.
• Dice yellow onion and saute in olive oil until carmelized. Remove from heat.
• Line bottom of tart crust with grated Gruyere cheese.
• Layer bacon bits on top.
• Once cooled, gently lay sauteed onions on top of bacon layer.
• Whisk together egg yolks, egg, salt, pepper, and heavy cream.
• Pour egg mixture into tart crust until filling approaches top edge of tart crust.
• Sprinkle grated parmesan on top.
• Cook tart in oven for 20-25 minutes.
• Allow to cool before serving.
• Tomato Balsamic Jam:.
• Dice onions and garlic. Use box grater to coarsley grate apple.
• Saute onions and garlic in large sauce pan until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes).
• Add in apple, vinegar, salt, pepper, and tomatoes.
• Keep on low simmer stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes until jam has paste consistency.
• Remove from heat. Once jam has cooled, spread a thin layer in a ring on top of tart. Garnish with arugala (optional).

TORTA SALATA DI FARRO - SAVORY FARRO PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 370 degrees F (180 C).
• Prepare the farro: Wash it well, picking out impurities such as bits of chaff, pebbles, or bad grains. In a medium saucepan, combine the farro with about 4 cups water and 2 teaspoons salt, then turn heat to high and bring it all to a boil.
• When it has come to a boil, reduce the temperature to medium low, cover, and let simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from heat, drain mixture well, then pour it all into a large ceramic or porcelain bowl and set aside to let cool.
• When cooled, combine it with the remaining ingredients except the butter and the bread crumbs.
• Use the butter and bread crumbs to lightly grease and coat a 9-inch pan, pour the farro mixture into it, and bake it in a 370 F (180C) oven for about 40 minutes.
• This will work well as a second course, with a tossed salad.
• Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' method of cooking farro and from a recipe in Luciano Migliolli's "Il Farro e le sue Ricette." Farro: Grain of the Legions Grano Farro has a long and glorious history - it is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the primary ingredient in plus, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor.

WOOD SORREL SAVORY ONION TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat butter over medium-low heat in a skillet. Cook and stir shallots and onion in butter until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt.
• Increase heat to medium. Pour white wine into the skillet and cook until evaporated. Stir in flour. Add sorrel and stir constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.
• While sorrel mixture is cooling, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, and black pepper in a large bowl.
• Combine sorrel mixture with egg mixture, 1/2 Gruyere cheese, and 1/2 Parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into the prepared pie crust. Top with remaining 1/2 Gruyere cheese and 1/2 Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and tart is firm, about 1 hour.