Have you ever tried to write up a recipe that you make again and again, but only from memory? When I mentioned my leek and goat cheese tart a few weeks ago on Twitter and Facebook, I had several requests for the recipe. I thought this would be an easy project – ha! So, when I made this for our Valentine’s Day supper last night, I really had to put on my thinking cap.
I have been making this tart for years but really had to work to discover where it originated. After quite a search, I discovered that the version I make came from Delia Smith’s “How To Cook”. I use less goat cheese and usually substitute half-and-half for the cream. Fresh thyme from my garden adds a fresh touch and a sprinkling of sweet paprika is my signature salute to my Hungarian background.
You might be searching for the missing pie crust recipe. Here I must confess that I almost never make pie crust. Instead, lazy Liz buys the refrigerated uncooked crusts that can be found in any grocery store. They usually come in packages of two and one – or both – freeze beautifully.
TIP: You can add some crisp bacon or ham for a heartier tart.
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 single uncooked pie crust
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 leeks, white and light green portions only, cleaned and sliced into ¼ inch thick slices
- ¾ cup cream or half-and-half
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 ounces goat cheese, broken into crumbles
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- sweet paprika
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place uncooked pie crust in a quiche pan or 9 inch glass pie plate. Press lightly into place. Brush crust with 1 teaspoon of the beaten egg. Using a fork, prick the entire crust to "dock" it, preventing air bubbles and/or swelling of the crust as it bakes.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until it turns a light brown color. Remove from oven, keeping the oven at 375 degrees.
- Using a skillet, melt the butter and cook the leeks over medium heat until they are limp but not browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the beaten eggs with the cream, salt and pepper and whisk together.
- Spread the sautéed leeks and goat cheese crumbles evenly over the baked crust.
- Pour the custard over the leeks and cheese. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and finish with a dusting of paprika.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
Liz, I’m the leek queen, can’t wait to try this! Thyme is one of my favorite herbs , what a nice combo!
It is so easy – hope you enjoy it, Mary.
Oohhh…what a beautiful thing. Love the melting goat cheese, and while I never say no to bacon, I’m not sure this tart can be improved on.
Leftovers for lunch right now…
Beautiful tart, gorgeous photo… thanks for reminding me of Delia Smith, I have that book and a couple of others. One of the great things about her is all her recipes work, as they get tested and tested and tested again (or so I heard… 🙂
I love goat cheese in tarts like this…
I love Delia – amazed she isn’t well-known in the US.
What a scrumptious tart! The pairing of leeks and goat cheese is sublime!
Thanks so much, Deb – hope you try it.
And I have lemon Thyme in my fridge right now too 🙂 Just gorgeous, I love Delia’s recipes–she is fabulous! Recipe looks wonderful and so does your photo!
So strange, Wendy, I was just going to email you when your comment popped up! Hi!
Beautiful, simple, and I’m sure delicious! Lovely Liz!
Thanks, Beth –
This is right up my alley! I’m so behind on commenting on my favorite blogs – so sorry! Life was just so busy last week. Pinning! Love the goat cheese in it. But I went to a feta cheese tasting party last night and I’m excited to try some new fetas now. So that might be what I use – and a lot of them use some % of goats milk, so I won’t be far off from yours 🙂
Feta sounds fabulous…
delish….thankyou for sharing the recipe 🙂
Looks delicious! Nothing wrong with store bough crust if you ask me. It’s totally a time saver!