Summer vegetable tart

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

August means an overabundance of riches to me.  The produce is coming fast and furious out of the garden and the CSA shares just seem to keep getting bigger.  It’s a challenge to come up with recipes that incorporate a lot of different vegetables, something you want to cook and eat even if it’s a million degrees with two thousand percent humidity. 

Over the weekend I made a vegetable tart that fits the bill.  It’s good hot or cold and would taste great with just about any combination of vegetables and herbs.  Best yet, you could definitely make this using almost nothing but locally grown/locally produced ingredients.  I admit that I cheated a bit by using frozen pizza crust dough for the tart crust.  I baked it for about 15 minutes and then let it cool before assembling the rest of the tart.

5 ounces soft goat cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced
1hot green pepper, seeded, diced
1 large handful of swiss chard, stems removed, and leaves torn into strips
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Whisk cheese, cream, sour cream, salt, and cayenne in medium bowl to blend. Add eggs and whisk to blend. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and chard and sauté until beginning to soften/wilt, about 4 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and corn; sauté until all vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Mound vegetables on top of tart and sprinkle with basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.