This swiss chard tart with leeks and pecorino is rich and savory. The crust is filled with a silky custard, sweet buttery leeks and a ton of swiss chard.
One of the biggest challenges I have with seasonal cooking is the transition from one season to the next. The weather begins to change, butternut squash loses its thrill and the anticipation for new produce doubles down. For me, waiting for winter to end and spring to begin is the hardest seasonal transition.
Pea shoots, fiddlehead ferns, morels, green garlic-- these relatively rare vegetables symbolize spring as much as chirping birds and sprouting tulips. I've realized, though, that it's not entirely fair to give these few show stoppers all of the attention.
Fresh spring flavors can be summoned with a whole host of fruits and vegetables that are more every day and readily available, even if you're still shoveling out your driveway. Frozen artichoke hearts, peas, leeks, fresh herbs, citrus fruit, strawberries, leafy greens -- while these might not always be farm fresh or the best of the season, cooking with them can tide you over during the slow crawl of February.
And this swiss chard tart with leeks and pecorino does just that. It was born out of the frustration of waiting for rhubarb and the quintessential produce of spring, yet it's fresh, aromatic, and tastes like a crisp day in April. This is a savory tart that begs to be served at an Easter brunch with a crisp glass of Pouilly Fumé.
what does swiss chard taste like?
Swiss chard is a mild tasting leafy green vegetable. It is much less vegetal and bitter than kale, and the leaves are sturdier than spinach. While sensitive tasters do detect bitterness in the leaves, it’s not considered a bitter green. Young chard leaves can be eaten raw in salads and slaws, but I prefer it cooked.
Swiss chard is the white variety of chard and there are many other colors available (yellow, red, purple). The flavor and texture of rainbow chard is almost identical to white Swiss chard, so any variety will work in this chard tart!
can you eat the stems of swiss chard?
Yes! Unlike kale stems which are tough and fibrous, Swiss chard stems will soften when cooked and are perfectly edible. If you prefer to use the stems, simply chop them up and saute them for a few extra minutes before adding the leaves.
what does chard go well with?
Because chard is so mild tasting, it goes well with a range of flavors and dishes. I love to use Swiss chard with flavors like garlic, shallots, leeks, citrus, mushrooms, butter, chicken stock and vinegar.
It’s great to use in soups and stews, thanks to the sturdy leaves. It goes really well with salty aged cheese, like Parmesan, Pecorino, Gruyère and Comté. Chard is a wonderful addition to pasta, polenta or potato gratins.
Bottom line: use swiss chard wherever you might use a leafy green, but cook it a little less than kale or a little longer than spinach.
what herbs go well with swiss chard?
Swiss chard is a versatile, mellow tasting leafy green that can go well with a range of herbs. Here are a few that is goes especially well with!
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Bay leaf
how to make the savory tart shell:
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in a food processor
- Add butter and pulse until a coarse mixture forms
- Add ice water and pulse until the dough comes together
- Chill for 1 hour
- Roll out dough, fit into tart pan and chill while oven preheats
- Line tart shell with pie weights and bake at 350°F for 15- 20 minutes, then remove pie weights and bake another 15- 20 minutes
- Set aside to cool
how to make the swiss chard tart:
- Make tart shell (see above)
- Sauté leeks in butter
- Sauté Swiss chard, cool, then squeeze dry
- Finely chop cooked chard and add to leeks
- Stir in parsley, cream, eggs, pecorino cheese and salt and pepper
- Spread filling in tart shell and bake at 350°F until firm, about 30 minutes.
related recipes:
swiss chard soup with farro and potatoes
roasted whole carrots with pistachio dukkah
wild mushroom leek frittata with truffles and gruyere
stuffed focaccia with mozzarella and pistachio pesto
fava bean panzanella with cucumber and feta
greens and giant beans on toast
Printswiss chard tart
This swiss chard tart with leeks and pecorino is rich and savory. The crust is filled with a silky custard, sweet buttery leeks and a ton of swiss chard.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
crust
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 stick + 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3- 6 tbsp ice water
filling
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 leeks, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bunches swiss chard, leaves coarsely chopped, stems discarded
- ½ bunch parsley, chopped
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup pecorino, shredded (or other hard salty cheese like parmigiano)
Instructions
crust
- Combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse until the butter is pea sized. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together when squeezed, adding up to 3 more tablespoons of ice water if needed. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface (it will be crumbly) and shape into a fat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour, or until firm.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch round. Carefully transfer dough to a 10 or 11- inch tart pan with removable bottom and trim edges. Prick the bottom with a fork and store in the freezer while the oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Line the dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are just lightly golden, 15- 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is lightly golden all over, 15- 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
filling
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and slowly sauté until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, 10- 15 minutes. Transfer leeks to a large bowl.
- In the same pan, add olive oil and raise heat to medium-high. Add swiss chard, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 4-5 minutes until wilted and tender. Remove from heat and when cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess liquid, finely chop, and add to bowl with leeks.
- Stir in parsley, cream, eggs, pecorino, a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread filling evenly into prepared tart shell and bake 25- 30 minutes, until filling is puffed and firm in the center.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of tart
- Calories: 446
- Sugar: 2.7g
- Sodium: 517mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 19g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.8g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 155mg
*POST UPDATED FEBRUARY 25, 2020. ORIGINAL POST PUBLISHED MARCH 26, 2018.
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