Recipe: Roasted Fall Vegetables in Cheddar Crust

From EatingWell

This savory take on a tart starts with a cheddar cheese crust that is deliciously filled with roasted leeks, fennel and broccoli or Brussels sprouts. Adding beets, cauliflower or carrots can make this dish stand out beautifully at your next meal. Aren’t a fan of some of the suggested veggies? No worries, you can easily swap those you don’t care for, for some of your favorites!

Ingredients

Makes 8 Servings

FIlling

• 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed
• 1 pound small broccoli florets or Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 small or 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• ⅓ cup black olive tapenade
• ½ cup crumbled goat cheese

Crust

• 1¼ cups white whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons canola or extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Preparation

Active Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

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 cheese 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.

Tips

• To make ahead, prepare the crust (Step 4), wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• White whole-wheat flour is made from hard white wheat berries, which makes it lighter in color and flavor than regular whole-wheat flour, but with the same nutritional properties. For the best flavor, store it airtight in the freezer.
• Black olive tapenade is a thick paste made from olives, garlic and other flavorful ingredients. To make your own for this recipe, puree 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, 1 clove peeled garlic and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar in a food processor until it forms a thick paste.

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