June 28, 2020

Potato and Blue Cheese Tart



While I was making this, Margaret asked me what was for dinner and I replied, "I know you are going to like it." She responded, "Does it have cheese?" It has cheese alright, and she was indeed a fan. This is a summer favorite, but it could be made any time of year. Made of potatoes and blue cheese and crust, and a sprinkling of mixed fresh herbs if you have them, it pairs beautifully with a green salad with vinaigrette.

When I made it recently, I paused to appreciate how easy and satisfying it is to make good tart dough in the food processor. (I tried once to make pie pastry in the food processor and the end result was such disappointing texture and appearance in the finished pie that it was not worth the convenience-- but not so for tart dough!) After a few dry ingredients go in the food processor, you add the slices of butter and blend until it is a coarse meal consistency. Then you add your liquid (water or egg) and blend until it comes together in a perfect ball that rolls up stray bits without any effort. Then you have a compact ball of buttery pastry. You don't have to flour a counter and roll it out, but can just press it out into a tart pan and fill. I don't make a lot of savory tarts (or tarts in general) but this and a rich tomato-mozzarella one are my favorite to date. I have tried the Smitten Kitchen tart shell recipe but I think I like my go-to tart recipe here a little better (simpler ingredients, richer flavor, and it makes a little bit more so it doesn't need to be stretched quite so much to fill the tart pan). Either way this makes a delicious cheesy, earthy, meatless meal.









Potato and Blue Cheese Tart 
from Smitten Kitchen

1 lb. small red potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 C heavy cream
1 egg yolk
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (or about 3/4 C)
1 T finely chopped herbs of choice (we used thyme, oregano, and chives from the garden)
salt
savory tart shell from this recipe, pressed into tart pan and ready to fill

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium saucepan, cover potato slices with water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool slightly.

Arrange potatoes, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles in tart shell. Sprinkle with cheese. Whisk together heavy cream and egg and pour over the top. Sprinkle with herbs and salt.

Bake on a baking sheet until bubbling and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

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