Roasted Vegetable Tart

Last month, I decided that it was time for me to start subscribing to some of my favorite food magazines.  Honestly, I'm not sure why I never decided to subscribe sooner, but when I found a great deal ($12.50 for THREE one year subscriptions for the magazines:  Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, and Saveur) I really couldn't turn it down.  On top of that, my boyfriend also gifted me a subscription to The Food Network Magazine!  So, this month I have been absolutely loving my variety of reading material...if you count looking at recipes and drooling over photos reading.

When I received my first issue of Bon Appetit, I was very excited to try some of the recipes!  I noticed that the recipes in this magazine are a little more sophisticated and gourmet than some of the other magazines, and some require ingredients I haven't really had much experience with.  But I love this fact, because I find it a great way for me to push my food boundaries a little bit, and get me out of my comfort zone.

I flipped through the magazine, making a list of the recipes that I would be willing to try.  One that made the list was the Roasted Vegetable Tart, which was also the cover photo for this month.  Now, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but my boyfriend doesn't really get excited about foods that don't contain meat.  Put a huge piece of steak or chicken on his plate and he's happy, but don't expect the same response from any type of veggie or carb dish.  So, as you can imagine, he didn't really seem that excited about the tart.  

Of course, that didn't sway me, and I went ahead with the tart as planned.  I got started on the dough for the crust early Sunday morning.  I knew that by following the recipe exactly, using no substitutions or shortcuts, I would be spending a lot of time in the kitchen that day.  Since it was my first time with this recipe, I wanted everything homemade, exactly as the recipe states, so I could really get a feel for how it should taste.  

So, I carried on:  Combine the ingredients for the crust.  Chill.  Roll out the dough.  Chill.  Line tart pan with dough.  Add weights.  Bake.  Remove weights.  Bake.  Chop vegetables.  Roast.  Chop more vegetables.  Roast.  Chop more.  Saute.  Layer vegetables in crust.  Add goat cheese.  Combine egg and cream.  Pour.  Sprinkle with thyme.  Bake.  DONE!

As you can see...it was a multi-step process.  Of course, there are always short cuts, such as using a store bought pie crust, or using jarred roasted red peppers, or roasting the vegetables a day in advance...so don't be scared by the many steps.  It's definitely worth the effort. 

This.

tart.

is.

amazing.

Really.  Probably one of the best things I've ever made.  I never thought I could be so incredibly satisfied by a dish consisting primarily of vegetables.  And even my boyfriend said he had never been so wrong about his prediction of a dish.  This recipe is perfect.  No adjustment could make it better.  The crust was flaky, the roasted vegetables were savory, the goat cheese added a creamy, mild flavor, and the sprinkling of thyme added just the right finishing touch.  Although we ate this tart for brunch, I think the flavors are savory enough to be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Please do me a favor and make this.  I made this only 6 days ago and I'm already craving it again...

Roasted Vegetable Tart

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Recipe from Bon Appetit - January 2012 issue

Yield:  One 10" tart

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp sugar

10 Tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

For the filling:

2 red bell peppers

11 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" cubes

1 small red skinned sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 small onions, thinly sliced

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, divided

4 oz. fresh goat cheese, crumbled

2 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

For the pastry*:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pulse 2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor.  Add butter; pulse until coarse meal with pea-size lumps forms.  Drizzle 3 Tbsp ice water over mixture.  Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dry.  Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 13" round.  Transfer to a pie dish; press onto bottom and up sides of dish.  Trim dough, leaving 1/2" overhang.  Fold overhang under; crimp edges.  Freeze for 10 minutes.  

Line dough with foil or parchment paper; fill with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove foil and beans.  Return to oven and bake until crust is light golden brown, 25-30 minutes longer.  Let crust cool completely.  

*Crust can be made 1 day ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.

For the filling**:

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450 degrees.  Using a small paring knife, cut around stems of bell peppers.  Lift out stems with seeds and discard.  Transfer whole peppers to a small baking dish; drizzle with 2 Tbsp oil.  Roast on upper rack, turning peppers occasionally, until tender, about 40 minutes.  Transfer peppers to a small bowl; cover with plastic wrap.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Peel peppers, then tear into strips.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, toss eggplant with 4 Tbsp oil in a small bowl to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast on lower rack for 10 minutes.  Add sweet potato to eggplant and mix gently.  Continue roasting until eggplant and sweet potato are tender, 20-25 minutes longer.  Set vegetables aside.  

Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss tomatoes with vinegar, 1 Tbsp oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Arrange tomatoes, skin side down, on prepared sheet.  Roast on lower rack until tomatoes are beginning to brown and are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes.  Set aside.  

Meanwhile, heat remaining 4 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and fennel; cook, stirring frequently, until parts of vegetables are slightly softened and others still crisp, 5-6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Using a slotted spoon ,transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

**Vegetables can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cover separately and chill.

For the tart:

Scatter onion-fennel mixture over bottom of tart crust.  Top with eggplant-sweet potato mixture and roasted peppers.  Scatter 1 tsp thyme over.  Top with goat cheese and tomatoes.  

Whisk eggs and cream in a small bowl; season lightly with salt and pepper.  Slowly pour egg mixture over vegetables.  Scatter remaining 1 tsp thyme on top.

Bake tart until filling is set and pastry is golden brown, 50-60 minutes.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.