Asparagus And Wild Leek Tart With Goat Cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash the asparagus and cut off the
bottom of the stems that are greenish-white and tough. Bring a pot of
water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, submerge the asparagus for 30
seconds to blanch, remove the asparagus from the pot and quickly
submerge in iced water to shock. Set the asparagus aside. From the
wild leeks, trim off the dirty roots and snip an inch off the tops,
before washing them carefully in cold water. Heat a saute pan over
medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter begins to
foam add the wild leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook gently
for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth to the wild leeks and simmer until
all of the broth has evaporated but be careful not to burn the leeks.
Remove from the saute pan and allow to cool. Prepare a space to work
with the phyllo dough. Unwrap the dough and cover with a cloth, have
a brush and the olive oil ready and have a cookie sheet ready on
which the tart will be baked. Begin by lightly brushing the center of
the cookie sheet with a film of olive oil. Next, lay the first sheet
of dough on the cookie pan, brush the dough lightly with oil and
overlap width-wise the next sheet over only half of the first so that
now the two sheets make a pastry sheet 50 percent wider (not longer)
than the original dimension of the pastry. Don’t be concerned if the
lengthwise ends of the dough are overflowing from the edges of the
pan; all of the edges of the dough will be rolled up to form the
edges of the tart. Brush the second sheet of dough with oil and lay
another sheet squarely over the first so that in alternating this
pattern you build your wide pastry base. Continue to alternate the
dough sheets, brushing each layer with oil, until you have used half
the package of dough. Gather the edges of the phyllo between the tips
of your fingers and begin to roll them toward the center to form the
sides of the tart. Roll uniformly inward until the rolled edge is
even all around and the round tart resembles a pizza. Leave a pastry
base of 10 to 12 inches into which the vegetables and cheese will go
after the tart shell is blind baked. Place the empty tart shell into
the oven and bake for 6 minutes. Remove the pastry from the oven and
allow to cool for 10 minutes before filling. This pastry preparation
can be done over the course of several hours and can even be done a
day or two ahead if the blind baking is reserved until the last
moment and the raw pastry is covered with plastic wrap and
refrigerated. To fill the tart crumble the goat cheese and spread it
evenly over the base of the tart. Next add an even layer of wild
leeks, followed by the asparagus which should be fanned, tips out,
from the center of the tart. Season the tart lightly with salt and
pepper, place into the 375 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes or
until the cheese has softened and the crust becomes a rich
golden-brown. Serve immediately. While the tart is baking (or ahead
of time if possible) prepare the vinaigrette. Place the red pepper,
mustard, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper in a food
processor. Pulse to chop the red pepper to a fine dice. When the
pepper has been pulsed enough, begin to drizzle in the walnut oil to
create an emulsified dressing. Serve the tart with a small green
salad and a drizzle of red pepper vinaigrette. This recipe yields 4
to 6 servings.

Comments: The original recipe title as listed is “Asparagus And Wild
Leek Tart With Goat Cheese And Red Pepper Vinaigrette”.