Herb and Leek Tart

Posted by Margalit

This recipe for an Herb and Leek Tart is not exactly a cold salad, since it has to be cooked, and isn't technically a salad, but it's one of those items that works very well cold and carried in a picnic basket. It's a grownup tart, but one that many kids might like as well. I always find that tarts like this work well if you're having a potluck dinner, where you can prepare it the day before and serve it at room temperature and it will hold up well.

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This is one of those recipes where the better the dijon mustard, the better your tart will turn out. It's somewhat difficult to disguise cheap mustard.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups sliced leeks (approx. 9 leeks)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red sweet pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon thyme, minced
1 teaspoon parsely, minced
1 teaspoon basil, minced
1 1/2 cups Emmental cheese, shredded (swiss or Gruyere will also work)
1 12" pie crust, made from your favorite recipe
2 tablespoons milk
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS

Cook leeks and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet until tender, between 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat; stir in sweet pepper, mustard, thyme, parsley, and basil.
Stir in Emmental cheese, allowing it to melt a bit.
Set aside.
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out your pie crust until it's a circle with 12" in diameter.
Press pie crust into a 10-inch tart pan or pie pan.
Spoon half the leek mixture into the center of pie crust, leaving a 2-3 inch border.
Fold a border up over the leek mixture.
Brush milk onto top and sides of the crust.
Sprinkle any remaining herbs as well as the Parmesan cheese on top.
Place in the oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until crusts are golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes.