This free form tart was my way of using up a couple of slices of prosciutto, a piece of blue cheese and the sour cream that froze in our temporary fridge, and was now runnier than it should be. I had a large cauliflower in the fridge, and used about a third of it for this recipe, leaving plenty more for other meals.
I chose to make a pinenut pastry, for a bit of extra richness and texture. Making a free form tart is less work than lining a tart shell, as the rolled out dough is simple folded up over the filling.
In a bit of olive oil, cook:
1/2 cup diced onion
When the onion starts to soften, add:
2 slices prosciutto, diced
Ground black pepper
Cook on medium heat until the onion and prosciutto start to crisp and colour.
Add in:
3 cups of blanched cauliflower florets
Season with salt and black pepper, and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower starts to caramelize. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before continuing.
When the cauliflower mixture is completely cooled, the pastry can be rolled and the tart assembled for baking. I used a rosemary-pinenut dough. I made the pecan crust from the post Fig, Brie and Prosciutto Crostata with a Pecan Crust, substituting pinenuts for the pecans.
Heat the oven to 425F.
Roll the pastry out to a 12" circle, about 1/8" thick, and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Set aside while you make the filling.
In a small bowl, combine:
2/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix in:
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Stir in:
the cauliflower mixture
Scrape the filling into the centre of the pastry, leaving 2" of pastry around the edges.
Lightly brush the dough with cold water.
Carefully fold the pastry up over the filling, creating pleats as shown. Gently lift each pleat, and lightly brush the underside with water to help it stick to the pleat underneath.
Brush the dough with egg wash.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425F and then turn the temperature down to 350F and bake until the pastry is crispy and golden, and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Allow the tart to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. I served mine with a green salad, with a simply balsamic vinaigrette.
- As I mentioned, I used the pastry recipe from the post Fig, Brie and Prosciutto Crostata with a Pecan Crust.
- Any pastry recipe can be used; purchased pastry can also be used.
- If you have leftover cauliflower, this would be a perfect way to use it up. I blanched mine for about 3 minutes just to give it a head start. Roasting the cauliflower would be another option.
- Consider using cheese sauce instead of the sour cream and egg.
- Leftover chili, chicken a la king or stew can be used as the filling for the tart.
- As a gluten free option, bake the filling in a casserole dish, and serve as a side dish.
