Go Back

A Shallow Tart of Chard and Cheese

Shannon Davidson
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 8 tbsp butter cut into small dice chilled
  • Pinch salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated, divided
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1 bunch chard
  • 4 scallions
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup parmesan grated

Instructions
 

  • Place the flour in the bowl of a food processor along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse to incorporate. Then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add ½ cup of the cheddar cheese, thyme, and egg. Pulse a few times until it forms a softball. Add a little water, drop by drop if needed.
    Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough a couple of times and then roll out with a rolling pin large enough to fit a 12-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Carefully lift the dough into the tart pan and press in firmly, trimming off any edges. Chill for thirty minutes.
    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and quickly blanch the chard until soft and tender. This should only take two minutes or so. Drain and squeeze as much water as you can, then coarsely chop the chard. Finely slice the scallions and add to the chard. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
    To prepare the tart shell, line with parchment paper and weigh it down with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the shell for 15 minutes until lightly golden. Carefully remove the parchment paper and weights and return the shell to the oven for 5 more minutes, until dry to the touch.
    Put the chard into the pastry shell. Beat the eggs, cream, and nutmeg until well mixed. Scatter the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese over the chard. Then pour over the egg and cream mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry, is crisp and the filling has set.