Roasted Fall Vegetables in Chedder Crust

I received two beautiful new tart pans from my parents for Christmas from Sur la Table, one square and one rectanlge. I decided to try this recipe from Eating Well magazine, which is actually a savory tart rather than a sweet one. It was very easy and quick. For those of you that love goat cheese, this recipe is definitely for you.

There were a few minor technical difficulties along the way (the electricity went out for about an hour while the tart was in the oven), but the tart turned out really well. The cheddar crust is crumbly and satisfying. The tart served as our main course and we all left the table feeling full.

While I made the crust in a food processor, it should work just as well by hand. You can use two knifes or a fork to cut the butter into the other ingredients until you reach a good consistency. I have made a few minor changes to a couple of ingredients. This recipe can be altered to suit your tastes by changing the vegetables used or substituting a pesto or sundried tomato spread for the olive tapenade. You can also substitute feta cheese for the goat cheese.

Filling:
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed
1 pound small broccoli florets, trimmed and cut in half
2 small or 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 thinly sliced red onion
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 cup black olive tapenade
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Crust:
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose flour
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ice water

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. To prepare filling: Spread leeks, broccoli (or Brussels sprouts), fennel and onion in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet along with the unpeeled head of garlic. Season the vegetables with rosemary, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over the vegetables and garlic and toss to coat.
3. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife and the garlic is soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside the garlic, and toss the vegetables with vinegar. Let cool.
4. To prepare crust: Coat an 8-by-12-inch rectangular or 11-inch round removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray.
5. Place flour, Cheddar and cornmeal in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add oil and water and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
6. When the vegetables are done, reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes.
7. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Spread tapenade over the bottom of the crust. Top with the roasted vegetables. Cut off the top of the garlic and squeeze out the cloves onto the vegetables. Sprinkle with goat cheese.
8. Bake the tart until the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the pan sides and cutting into squares.