Cheese & Spinach Tart

"If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food either" ~ Joseph Wood Krutch

Cheese & Spinach Tart

Crust:

1/2 cup cold butter, cut up in pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup finely grated Cheddar cheese
4 t0 6 Tbsp. cold water

Combine dry ingredients. Add cold butter, cut in until the mixture is crumbly. Add cheese and cold water and blend till dough comes together into a ball. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Filling:

1 pound fresh spinach, chopped up
1 onion, chopped
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup half-n-half
2 eggs, beaten
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in large deep skillet. Add onion and sautee until onion carmelizes. Add spinach and 2 Tbsp. water. Cover and let cook till spinach wilts, just a couple of minutes. Drain well and cool. Once cool add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Roll out 2/3 of the dough and press into tart pan. Spoon filling into shell. Roll out remaining dough, lay over tart and cut slits in top. Brush egg over pastry. (Beat one egg with 1 Tbsp. water)

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until nicely browned.

This tart can be eaten warm or cold, it can also be frozen and reheated.

Orange-Berry Tart

To give life to beauty, the painter uses a whole range of colours, musicians of sounds, the cook of tastes—and it is indeed remarkable that there are seven colours, seven musical notes and seven tastes ~ Lucien Tendret

Orange-Berry Tart

Crust:

1 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whole oats
1/2 cup cold butter, cut in pieces
4 Tbsp. cold water

Combine dry ingredients, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add cold water, mix till dry ingredients form ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out on floured board and fit into tart pan.

Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

Filling:

1 8 oz. pkg. Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. finely grated orange peel

Combine cheese, sugar and orange juice in a bowl. Mix on high speed till fluffy. Stir in orange peel.

Topping:

2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch and orange juice in pan. Add blueberries and cook over medium-high heat until thickened. Set aside to cool.

Spread cheese mixture in cooled tart shell. Top with blueberries and refrigerate for at least4 to 6 hours.