Leek and Red Chard Tart

Quiches and Tarts are very traditional in the Alsace area of France, which is very close to my Palatinate home in Germany.  A lot of dishes are shared across the border and therefore, quiches have been in my recipe repertoire since I started cooking for my family.

This leek and red chard tart is especially easy to assemble since it calls for store bought puff pastry. The filling, containing leek and red chard, gets precooked and finished, after the addition of the eggs, while baking in the tart shell.

Serve this leek and red chard tart along a fresh green salad and you are rewarded with a very simple but elegant dinner. I like to bring quiches or tarts to get together with my friends or serve them at my parties since they are always a crowd-pleaser and so effortless to assemble ahead of time.

Ingredients:

*  1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package) (250 g), thawed
*  2 tablespoons butter
*  3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
*  2 teaspoon dried thyme
*  1 bunch red chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped

*  1 1/4 cups whipping cream
*  3 large eggs
*  2 large egg yolks
*  1 teaspoon salt
*  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*  Pinch of ground nutmeg

 Directions:

Butter a 9-inch-diameter (22 cm) spring pan.
Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch (30 cm) square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter spring pan.
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard; saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 400 F. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust. Cut crust sides to the height of the filling.

Bake tart for about 40 minutes and until filling is puffed and just set in center. Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

Adapted from epicurious.com.