There is a reason that this is called the ‘Accidental’ Leek Tart. Let me tell you a story of our Easter holiday in Wisconsin this year. It was to be an Easter / two birthday celebration. The dinner included a fantastic meal and the whole weekend included much laughter.
In planning the meal with my mom, she said this year that we wanted to do new things for the Easter meal. This means we would still have some of the standard, like our favorite ham and mashed potatoes (only they had to be E’s Garlic Mashed), but instead of the green bean casserole, her words were, ‘Let’s mix it up.’
My immediate suggestion was my Brussels sprouts and that I would make a large batch for the group and we discussed what I would need – the 4 ingredients were sprouts, garlic, shallots and dry vermouth. Jump ahead to Friday in the car and calling my mom to let her know we were on the way. E had forewarned me that mom had mentioned a random vegetable that he wasn’t sure what I needed with it. When mom got on the phone, she was super stoked about most beautiful leeks (true statement – they were very nice leeks) that she had gotten. I said, “That’s great mom, but what for?”
Onto huge fits of laughter because somehow out of the Brussels sprouts ingredients, she substituted the leeks in place of the shallots. If any of you know my mom, you are I’m sure laughing hysterically right now, because that is a Claude’s type of moment that just makes you laugh.
Well, this laughter turned into the most amazing addition to our Easter meal that I’m sure that we will be making it again. The sweetness from the honey with the crunch of the crust and the creamy goat cheese addition and the caramelized leeks makes this a delicate and delicious side dish. Thanks mom for the Accidental opportunity to make something new that turned out fantastic!
Accidental Leek Tart
Ingredients:
- 4 Tbls butter
- 1 Tbls olive oil, plus more for drizzling to finish
- 1 Tbls honey
- 6 Leeks, cleaned and cut into 1 inch rings
- 4 red potatoes, sliced
- salt & pepper
- 1 pie crust, or home made crust using your own recipe.
- Goat Cheese
- Fresh Thyme
Preparation:
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in 9″ stainless skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, honey and a healthy sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Place the leeks down in an even layer throughout the plan. Add the sliced potatoes in another even layer over the top of the leeks. Salt and pepper the potatoes.
- Place the pie crust over the potatoes and tuck in the sides. Let some of the butter/honey mixture soak into the edges of the crust. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, watching till the crust turns golden brown. When done, remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Flip over on serving plate, exposing the leeks on top. Drizzle with some olive oil, a little more salt and pepper. Finish with goat cheese and fresh thyme. ENJOY!!!
Happy Experimenting!!!
**Recipe from Yes, More Please website.
experimentalspoon.com 