Onions & Leeks Goat Cheese Tart

After my shopping trip to Green Barn Market, my house is loaded with Ontario produce and dairy. I wasn't particularly thinking of what to make when I made my purchases. Serendipitously, I had everything I needed to make an onions & leeks goat cheese tart. It's not quite the same showcase dish as quiche for those gorgeous farm-fresh eggs I bought. But who doesn't love goat cheese?

The crust is a bit of an experiment. Of course I can use a reliable pate brisee recipe but I was curious. Graham cracker crumb crust is so easy to make but how do I adapt it for a savory application? A quick look in my pantry and I notice a box of Scottish oatcakes and Ryvita rye & oats crispbread. Crush and toss with melted butter...no reason that it wouldn't work.

Ingredients

For The Crust

• 6 Scottish oatcakes, crushed to fine crumbs
• 6 Ryvita rye & oats crispbread, crushed to fine crumbs
• 90g butter, melted

For The Filling

• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 2 leeks, finely sliced the white and pale green parts only
• 300g unripened goat cheese, softened
• 100g low-fat yogurt
• 2 extra large eggs
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375F. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the crumbs and melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into a 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
2. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large frying pan, sautee the leeks at medium-high heat with 1 tsp of oil until softened. Set aside.
4. Using the same frying pan (I'm not a big fan of doing more dishes than necessary) over medium-high heat, caramelize the onions without disturbing them much until they are deep mahogany. Set aside.
There's a lot more than what's in the photo but they look so pretty in a small dish!
5. Preheat oven to 375F if you prepared your crust ahead of time and the oven has already cooled down.
6. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together goat cheese and yogurt at medium speed until smooth. Add in eggs one by one until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Nice and smooth with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. Don't forget to stir them in.
7. Arrange the leeks and caramelized onions into the bottom of the crust to an even layer. It already looks good enough to eat!
Love that ggorgeous colour...
8. Gently top the tart with the custard mixture. If you have a little too much custard, bake them in individual silicone muffin liners. Small snack for the cook!
The word "unctuous" comes to mind. No I did not lick the screen.
9. Bake for 30 minutes until custard is set. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing it into wedges. They are yummy fresh out of the oven or at room temperature.
Ready at last! It's lovely with green salad or some kale sauteed in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon zest.

As for my experimental crust, I love the toasty oats flavour. Unfortunately, it is just a little too fragile (read: crumbly) to my liking.

My mouth is watering. I can keep staring at this!