Apple – Onion Tart

I have made this tart three different ways. I started out with every intention of following the recipe to the letter, but I just couldn’t do it. For starters, I sliced the apples instead of grated them, then added more apples than was originally called for and layered them on the bottom of the crust. This meant I had to increase the number of eggs so that the egg mixture actually covered the filling. The end result (which is what is described below) was excellent.

Some of the eaters on our farm prefer dairy-free foods, so I made a second tart where I substituted coconut oil for the butter in the crust, olive oil for the butter used for sautéing the apples and onions, and applesauce for the heavy cream. I also left out the cheese and threw in some nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor. I topped this quiche with some late garden tomatoes that worked surprisingly well with the apples. Although there was one small piece of this tart left at the end of the meal, I don’t think anyone suspected that the two tarts were worlds apart in their ingredient lists.

Finally I made a third tart where I used a cup of cornmeal instead of a cup of flour in the crust. The only cheese I had on hand was some Parmesan so I omitted cheese from the crust and filling and sprinkled a bit on the top. I do think the cheese would have added something to the nicely crunchy cornmeal crust. So next time I will add that back in as well as some roasted poblanos to balance out the apples. Basically you can GO WILD with this recipe.

Ingredients:

Crust

  • 2 cups flour

  • pinch of salt

  • ¼ tsp dry mustard

  • 6 Tbs butter

  • ¾ cup grated Cheddar or Gruyere Cheese

  • 2-3 Tbs water

Filling

  • 2 Tbs butter

  • 1 large onion – finely chopped

  • 3 large apples – cored and thinly sliced (try Nodhead and Hurlbut)

  • 5 eggs

  • 2/3 cup heavy cream

  • ¼ tsp Herbs de Provence

  • ½ tsp dry mustard

  • 4 oz Gruyere or Cheddar cheese

  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Sift the flour, salt, and dry mustard together in a bowl. Rub in the butter and cheese until the mixture forms soft crumbs. Add 2-3 Tbs water and stir together into a ball. Wrap in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes.

  2. Melt 2 Tbs butter in a medium-sized skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. When the onion is soft, stir in the apple slices, and sauté for another 4-5 minutes till they start to get tender. Set aside to cool.

  3. Roll out the pastry, and lay it into a greased 9” fluted quiche pan. (A pie plate will work too.) Chill for 20 minutes.

  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  5. Line the chilled pastry shell with parchment paper and dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes.

  6. Beat together the eggs, cream, herbs, seasoning and mustard. Grate ¾ of the cheese, and stir in to the egg mixture. When the pastry shell is cooked, remove the parchment paper and beans and pour in the egg mixture.

  7. Slice the remainder of the cheese, and arrange the slices over the top of the egg mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, and return the tart to the oven. Bake 30 minutes until the egg is set and the top is golden. Serve hot or warm.