Poblano Pepper Tart

By Abigail Garcia

A few weeks ago, hurricane Irene forced me to take advantage of every single item in my pantry and fridge. And, after finding some peppers, mushrooms, onions, two beautiful already-cleaned poblano peppers as well as some goat cheese, I decided to make a tart! This recipe came out to be so easy and you can actually mix and match the ingredients to your preference. This makes a perfect lunch or dinner served with a side salad or soup.

Yields 4 servings

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika or pimenton
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 4 tbsp very cold unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp iced water
• 2-3 tbsp heavy cream

For the filling:

• 1 cup small diced yellow pepper
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 2 poblano chiles, cut in strips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp of flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

For the dough:

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, paprika, Parmesan cheese, and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and mix with the dry ingredients using your fingers, a fork, a dough cutter or a food processor (I prefer the last one– so easy!) until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the iced water and stir in the cream, a tablespoon at a time. Work until the dough holds together and doesn’t fall apart.
2. Shape the dough into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap it in plastic and refrigerate overnight or at least 60 minutes. At least 30 minutes before assembling the pie, take it out from the fridge so it is flexible enough to roll it out. Make a disk that covers your quiche or piedish, and put it over it. Trim the ends and refrigerate until the filling is ready.

For the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. In a medium size pan, over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and the peppers until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the poblano chile strips and cook until everything is cooked through about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, mix the cream, eggs, flour and goat cheese and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To assemble the tart, spread the vegetables over the dough and pour the cream mixture over. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center, comes out wet but clean. When the crust is golden brown, cover it with a piece of foil and bake until the knife comes out clean.
5. Serve warm with some soup or salad.