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Ramp, Bacon and Ricotta Tart
Difficulty Level Easy
YIELD about 18 ramps, cleaned and bulb ends trimmed
I really wanted to make this part of my series on farmers' market dinners, but sadly, there were no ramps when I went to the market last week. Given that the ramp season is so short, I ended up making this tart anyway. It's still a good savoury tart for spring and you are still getting lots of nutritional value from the spinach.
This would make a really nice Sunday brunch dish, maybe even for your mom this week for Mother's Day. I served it with a green salad of soft, buttery lettuce that I got from the market and the sharpness of the vinaigrette was a nice pairing with the richness of the tart. The bacon is just crumbled on top rather than incorporated into the filling, so you can easily make this vegetarian by leaving it out.
INGREDIENTS
| For the tart crust: | |
| 3/4 cup | whole wheat pastry flour |
| 1/2 cup | all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 teaspoon | coarse salt |
| 8 tablespoons | cold butter, cut into small pieces |
| 3 tablespoons | ice water, plus more as needed |
| For the tart filling: | |
| 4 | slices of good quality bacon |
| 1 | large shallot, sliced |
| 3 cups | spinach |
| 1 1/2 cups | ricotta |
| 1 | large egg |
| salt and pepper, to taste | |
PREPARATION:
- In a food processor, combine the flours and salt and pulse to combine. Add the pieces of cold unsalted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the 3 tablespoons ice water, then pulse in 1 second bursts until the mixture resembles curds and clumps (you can add a little more water if needed.) Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface, gather it together in a ball, flatten into a disk shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
- To pre-bake the tart shell, roll it out and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming off any excess.Prick the bottom of the shell with a fork all over, then lay a piece of foil into the shell and fill the foil with dried beans. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for an additional 7 minutes or so, until the dough loses it?s glossiness and turns ever so slightly golden brown around the edges. Remove the shell from the oven, keeping it in the pan, and cool on a rack.
- When you're ready to assemble the tart, cook the bacon in a large, heavy saute pan until browned and crisp. Remove to a cooling rack to drain off any excess fat. Pour off the bacon fat until there?s about a tablespoon left in the pan. Return the pan to medium high heat and saute the sliced shallots until softened, then add the spinach and cook the mixture just until wilted.
- Transfer the spinach/shallot mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta cheese, egg, and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Puree the mixture until the spinach is chopped, and set aside.
- In the same pan you used to cook the bacon and spinach, add the whole ramps and a little bit of water. Cook just until the ramp greens have wilted, and set aside.
- Transfer the ricotta/spinach mixture into the tart shell. Top with the crumbled bacon slices, then arrange the wilted ramps over the top. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet, and bake for about 35-45 minutes in a 375 degree F oven, until the top is just starting to turn brown, the filling is slightly puffed and set, and the crust is golden brown.
From the website Eggs on Sunday.
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