Impress Mom on Mother's Day with a Rustic Onion Tart - Comfort Food Recipe

     I would love to receive a treat like this on Mother's Day!  This tart has gourmet flavor, but is not complicated.  The onions and shallots are sautéd with balsamic vinegar, and the chèvre and jarlsburg cheeses are fantastic together.  But here is the best part, the crust is pressed in the pan!  Yes, pressed, no rolling.  This recipe makes 2 tarts and will feed a crowd on Mother's Day!

Rustic Onion Tart

(Makes 2 12-inch tarts, Serves 16)

Pressed Whole Wheat Tart Crust

(Amounts for 1 Crust)

For each crust measure out in separate bowls:

1 c. Bread Flour

1 c. Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/3 c. Goat Butter

2/3 c. Palm Oil

4 T. Ice Water (spooned out from a cup of water with ice cubes)

Whisk together flours, salt, and baking powder.  Break up the goat butter and palm oil with your fingers while working quickly into the flour.  You should end up with gravel size pieces.  Add the ice water and mix quickly with your hands just until incorporated.  Form into two balls, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  If you are pressed for time you may skip cooling the dough and press it into the pan right away.   However, cooling it makes it a bit easier to handle.  Repeat for the second crust.  Do not double the recipe.

Topping

(Amounts for 2 tarts)

1/2 T. Palm Oil

6 Onions thinly sliced (use a food processor for quick work)

4 Shallot Bulbs thinly sliced (use a food processor for quick work)

2 tsp. Coarse Celtic Sea Salt

1/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp. Sugar

9 oz. Jarlsberg Cheese wedge sliced thinly

6 oz Classic Chèvre Goat Cheese

Heat the palm oil in a very large pan.  I use a bouillabaisse pot.  Add the onions, shallots, salt, and vinegar.  Sauté until the onions become clear.  Add the sugar and sauté a few minutes more.  Take off heat and cool to luke warm.  Set the cheeses in place for assembly.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Press one ball of dough into a flat circle, by placing into the middle of a 12-inch, oven-safe cast iron frying pan and pressing down with the palm of your hand.  Then work the dough outward toward the edges by pressing with your fingers.  Take the dough from a second ball of dough and tear off pieces pressing them into the pan to expand the crust edges.  Repeat with the two remaining balls of dough with a second oven-safe cast iron frying pan.

Split the filling between the two tarts and distribute evenly.  Arrange the jarlsberg on each tart with the narrow points in the center.  Crumble the Chèvre in between the jarlsberg for each tart.

Place tarts in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes to set the crust.  Press straight down with a thin metal spatula to create slices and serve warm.