A few weeks ago my husband Tom organized a dinner at our home for some of his wine enthusiast friends, with the guests of honor being a married couple who are winemakers from Burgundy. Tom asked me to supply a savory tart and dessert and said he would take care of the rest of the menu.
For the tart, at first I thought I would make Dorie Greenspan's amazing Mushroom and Shallot Quiche, which Tom has never tasted since he was out of town when I made it for a dinner with some law school friends. But then Tom mentioned that he was going to make farro with mushrooms as one of his sides, and I didn't want to make a second mushroom dish. So I decided to make Dorie's Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche instead.
I've made several savory tarts from Around My French Table that have the same basic tart dough crust (not just the Mushroom and Shallot Quiche, but also Gérard's Mustard Tart and the Quiche Maraîchère), and I absolutely love the crust recipe. The dough is very easy to handle, the crust turns out even and pristine, and it is absolutely crisp and stays that way. It's a snap to make the dough in the food processor -- you just blend flour, sugar, and salt; add cold cubed butter; and gradually add an egg beaten with a little ice water. You do have to chill the dough for at least three hours before rolling it out, and chill the rolled out crust in the tart pan again for at least an hour before blind baking it, so the one downside to the recipe is that you have to plan ahead.
Once you have your par-baked tart crust ready, assembling the quiche is easy. You cook some diced onions in butter until soft and spread them on top of the crust. Then you scatter over some diced apple and Gorgonzola dolce, and pour a mixture of cream, eggs, salt, and white pepper on top. That's it. You bake the quiche until browned and set, and you can serve it hot, warm, or at room temperature. I baked the tarts (I made two) in the late afternoon and left them at room temperature until we served them as a first course.
This quiche was delightful and our guests gave it raves. I like the fact that Dorie's quiches are not excessively eggy and have just enough cream and egg to hold the filling together. The cubes of apple became soft during baking but you could still make them out; the bursts of Gorgonzola were distinct without being too overwhelming. The crust was perfect, and even the two leftover slices of quiche that Tom and I stored in the fridge and reheated in the oven the next day still had crisp crusts; I did think the quiche tasted better hot than at room temperature. Also, since we served it at a wine-centered dinner, I have to mention that Tom said the quiche paired beautifully with the Burgundy wines poured that evening.
Dorie Greenspan's savory tart game is strong so I'm not surprised in the least that this one was a winner. I heartily recommend it as a starter or a main course for any meal, no matter what beverage you're serving!
Recipes: "Tart Dough" and "Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche" from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.
Previous Posts:
For the tart, at first I thought I would make Dorie Greenspan's amazing Mushroom and Shallot Quiche, which Tom has never tasted since he was out of town when I made it for a dinner with some law school friends. But then Tom mentioned that he was going to make farro with mushrooms as one of his sides, and I didn't want to make a second mushroom dish. So I decided to make Dorie's Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche instead.
I've made several savory tarts from Around My French Table that have the same basic tart dough crust (not just the Mushroom and Shallot Quiche, but also Gérard's Mustard Tart and the Quiche Maraîchère), and I absolutely love the crust recipe. The dough is very easy to handle, the crust turns out even and pristine, and it is absolutely crisp and stays that way. It's a snap to make the dough in the food processor -- you just blend flour, sugar, and salt; add cold cubed butter; and gradually add an egg beaten with a little ice water. You do have to chill the dough for at least three hours before rolling it out, and chill the rolled out crust in the tart pan again for at least an hour before blind baking it, so the one downside to the recipe is that you have to plan ahead.
Dorie Greenspan's savory tart game is strong so I'm not surprised in the least that this one was a winner. I heartily recommend it as a starter or a main course for any meal, no matter what beverage you're serving!
Recipes: "Tart Dough" and "Gorgonzola-Apple Quiche" from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.
Previous Posts:
- "Good Food for Good Friends: Mushroom and Shallot Quiche," August 8, 2017.
- "Leek Confit Est Magnifique: Flamiche Aux Poireaux (Leek Tart)," June 11, 2016.
- "Share Some, Save Some: Bacon and Leek Quiche," May 15, 2014.
- "Dorie, Don't Let Me Down!: Gérard's Mustard Tart," October 26, 2012.
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