Heirloom Pepper & Goat Cheese Tart with Parmesan Black Pepper Crust

I have no idea how the French farmer I bought these beautiful peppers from ended up working with Happy Quail farm in Northern California.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed chatting en français and practicing the one skill I'm quite good at in French: grocery shopping. After three years of living in Paris here's what I can do: give and take an order in the kitchen, shop for food, ask where the toilette is, order from a menu, get directions, and swear like a sailor. What can I say? I learned my French in the kitchen. Anything on God, philosophy, or politics is just a big question mark.

Happy Quail's peppers are impressive: sweet Basque fryers (doux long des Landes), spicy purple and brown bells, super sweet Hungarian bells in light cream and red, banana yellows, Cubanelles, and the famous Spanish Piquillos that normally can only be found roasted in cans or jars. I paid $8 for 4 peppers. I know, outrageous, right? Wow, the real price of food is high.

I thanked the French farmer, wished him a bonne journée, then turned and gasped for air. Perhaps I should have practiced some of my swear words instead, but I'm sure growing organic peppers is a costly business.

This tart is all about highlighting the sweet pepper flavors instead of masking them in a stew or as a side dish. The crust is a simple pâte brisée with added black pepper and parmesan that gets a thick slather of pesto before the goat cheese filling is added.

The topping is nothing but peppers in all different colors and flavors with red onions and chili flakes for extra kick. Serve along side a big green salad and a nice glass of red or white wine.

Heirloom Pepper & Goat Cheese Tart with Parmesan Black Pepper Crust

Serves 6-8 in one 11-inch tart pan

Ingredients

Parmesan Black Pepper Crust:

200g All-Purpose flour, sifted

30-40g Grated Parmesan Cheese

5g teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4g salt 100g unsalted butter, cold cut in small pieces

1 egg

2-3 Tablespoons ice water

Filling:

1 bunch basil Olive oil

460g (16oz) goat cheese

60g crème frâiche

2 eggs

30g flour

Topping:

4 colorful peppers, sliced thinly

1 small red onion, sliced thinly

Red chili flakes

Preheat oven to 400˚F (convection preferred) with baking sheet•

For Parmesan crust: Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to incorporate. Cut in cold butter – you can use your finger tips to do this – pretend like you're counting money and squishing the butter and flour together to form a sand-like dough. Add egg and continue to cut in with fingers. Then add water, little by little, just until the dough comes together. Knead the dough a few times inside the bowl to make sure all is incorporated. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 10 - 15 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When oil is hot quickly sauté red onion until soft but not brown, remove to a bowl. Sauté red peppers until al dente in the same pan with a little extra olive oil if necessary. Season with a pinch of salt, and a few dashes of chili flakes, remove to a bowl.

Coarsley chop 1/2 bunch of basil. In a blender or cuisinart blend basil with 1/4 cup of oil. Reserve. Rinse the cuisinart or blender out and add the goat cheese, crème fraîche, and eggs. Blend until smooth. Add the flour and blend just until incorporated. 7. On a floured surface roll out the parmesan crust until 1/4" thick and place onto the tart pan. Prick the tart bottom with fork tines and slather on pesto.

Pour in goat cheese filling. Sprinkle onions on top then peppers. Place tart on the hot baking sheet and bake at 400˚F for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350˚F and back for 15-20 minutes more until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown.

Cook's notes: In order to create a crisp tart shell for this recipe without having to blind bake it first, make sure the baking sheet is good and hot before placing the tart on top of it.

Comments

[Anjali]

I love all the colors in this tart and how you add a depth of flavor by spreading the pesto between the crust & filling. Thanks for the great ideas!

[JD]

That looks so delicious! I love using orange bell peppers whenever I can, the vibrancy just lights up a dish.

[David]

2 bucks a pepper? To me, at this point, that seems like quite a bargain...

[Eileen]

This tart looks amazing! I have peppers in my garden and a tart crust in the freezer that I just made yesterday. All I need to do is run out and buy the goat cheese!

[Erin]

The color scheme for this tart is simply gorgeous and I love the idea of using both Parmesan and pepper in the crust. Lovely recipe!

[Ms. Glazes]

David – Yes, you're right. I'd rather pay $8 for 4 beautiful bell pepper than 10 euros for a disgusting hamburger at Hippo (LOL!!!!). Besides, Paris no have peppers like these.

[sam]

Happy Quail's products are superb. have you tried their padrons? They are a source for local rhubarb to - they it is more green than red it tastes good enough.

[high horse]

$8 for 4 peppers - you must not be shopping at Asda!

[M]

Oh wow, this tarte looks amazing! I'm still deciding whether to go to culinary school to improve my French, or not...

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Everything about this tart appeals to me -- both the crust and the topping are recipes I'd find many uses for.

[Marla]

Gorgeous peppers indeed. I'm lucky to live here in pepper country where the price is considerably cheaper. It seems you are back in France, so I hope that means your ribs are healed up and you are brushing up on your kitchen French. I always enjoy your descriptions about your French, especially in reference to what you learn in the kitchen. It makes me laugh out loud. I too have about the same level of Italian linguistics ability, but I learned most of my swearing from my husband, but then he too grew up working in kitchens and restaurants. Your posts are always a pleasure.

[Ms. Glaze]

Marla – I think it's been awhile since I've heard from you – thanks for your comment! What is it about swearing in a different language that makes it almost comical? Expletives sound much harsher in English. I'm in San Francisco right now with family lapping up the Indian Summer and feasting on phenomenal produce. I should be in New York next week. Ribs are healed – now it's time to rebuild my callouses!

[India J]

Yummy! I love the look of that - thanks for sharing..:)

[scott (one food guy)]

Beautiful tart!

[editor]

OMG, that looks so DELICIOUS. wish i could just click a button and that tart would appear on my desk right in front of me. yummy. :)
Chris in San Francisco

[David At BlogSavy]

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