Sunday, April 06, 2008

Swiss Chard Tart with the World's Most Expensive Puff Pastry

Really Expensive Puff Pastry Dough

Can you feel the quality radiating from the puff pastry in the above photo? Does it have an otherworldly, heavenly glow? Does it look like it costs $10 for one sheet? I hope so, because I certainly couldn't detect much of a taste difference than my usual Pepperidge Farms puff pastry. I know, I know, this stuff is locally made with "the finest churned sweet butter", not wacky transfats, but still. I bought it despite the price--it was all Whole Foods had, and I wasn't about to ruin my Sunday with a stop at Fairway. Plus, this tart is just too damn good to abandon because of puff pastry prices.

Swiss Chard Tart, before baking

Tart before baking.


This tart is my favorite recipes from Suzanne Goin's cookbook, Sunday Supper's at Lucques. Of all of her complex recipes, this has the lowest work to deliciousness ratio. The puff pastry crust is smeared with a ricotta and creme fraiche mix, topped with swiss chard that's already been sauteed with shallots, and a generous handful of crumbled goat cheese. You bake it in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, then serve it with a currant pinenut relish (recipe here).

Serve the tart with this lovely farro salad on the side, and you have an excellent meal when your vegetarian friends come over for dinner. For a version of this tart with spring greens, click here.

11 comments:

Shayne said...

I am going to have to go to the library because this looks great.

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Rachael Narins said...

Well, if it makes you feel better, it's locally made! (In Queens) And the owner is a local woman and as a bonus, is a really nice person. (And my Aunt's best friend...so I'm totally biased) and it's award winning!

And something as yummy as that recipe deserves the best.

:-)

Anonymous said...

It looks delicious... and I bet the puff pastry was worth the price when you tried the Tart!
thanks for sharing!

Meg Blocker said...

Erin, have you thought about making your own puff pastry? It's not difficult (time-consuming, yes), and totally rewarding. Plus, there's so much butter involved that your kitchen actually ends up smelling like butter. How often does that happen?

Jess said...

I'm telling you, I know going to TJs in NYC is a big pain, but the artisan puff pastry rocks and is cheap (natch). Don't make a special trip to union sq, but if you're in the area and will be going home asap to get it back in the freezer, check it out. That's if they even stock it (the SL TJs was out yesterday).

Anonymous said...

I had plans to make pork pastries three weeks ago, and rather than making tart dough I thought - "hey, puff pastry - that will be easy!" So I took myself off to the store looking for puff pastry. This was the best of the lot. But when I saw the price on it, I blanched and backed down. I ended up making a semolina tart dough for the pies that is a bit (deliberately) grainy, but waaaaaaaaaay cheaper.

Still wonder how this puff pastry would have been though!

Anonymous said...

I love Dufour puff pastry because it has exactly FIVE ingredients -- flour, butter, water, lemon juice, and salt -- the lack of unpronounceable chemical additives alone makes it worth its price in my book!

I love swiss chard, so I'll definitely be trying this tart! Thanks

Christina said...

Yum. Yum. I'm drooling.

Anne said...

Erin- I feel your pain! I was an my in-laws over Christmas and promised to make them MY favorite recipe from Goin's book- the wild mushroom and guyrere tart which I LOVE. Went to Whole Foods and was given one option of puff pastry- the one you mention here- and almost had a heart attack when I got to the register. I had to buy two since my husband has such a big family and it didn't taste any different than the PF one. $10 is outrageous!!

Dazy said...

It looks scrumptious and tempting too! Always a winner as far as I'm concerned :) Keeps me pushing to the dining.