When Marc and Adele forgot their vegetables at my house, I got excited about the idea of using these farm-fresh veggies for a dish. It was basically just a lot of swiss chard and an onion. I used the onion, but had no idea what to do with the rainbow swiss chard. It sat in my fridge for about a week. Then, while watching the Food Network, I saw Anne Burrell make a really great looking crostata with swiss chard and ricotta cheese, something I always have in my fridge. I knew I had to try it!
I made some modifications to the recipe, mainly changing the crust altogether (I always have some dough in my fridge, so defrosting it was a big time saver). The mascarpone dough looked pretty great, so if you want to give it a try, go for it!
Swiss Chard and Ricotta Tart, adapted from Anne Burrell:
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe flaky pie or tart dough
- Olive oil, enough to cover a saute pan
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 leek, washed and cut into half rings
- 1 bunch of rainbow swiss chard, stems cut into 1/4 inch strips and leaves cut into 1 inch strips
- 2-3 tablespoons water
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions:
1. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and add the garlic cloves and pepper flakes.
2. When the garlic is browned, remove from pan and discard.
3. Add the chopped leeks, swiss chard stems, and some water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft and the water evaporates, about 15 minutes.
4. Add the leaves and season with more salt. Cook until the leaves wilt.
5. Remove from heat and add the ricotta, cayenne pepper, and egg.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
7. Roll out the dough and place on a baking sheet. It’s okay if the edges hang off a little bit, because you will fold them over.
8. Spoon the ricotta mixture in the middle. Fold over the edges. Brush edges with egg wash (oops, I forgot this step).
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes.
10. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Can be served warm or at room temperature.
