Flamiche Aux Poireaux (Leek Tart)

As many of you probably saw from my post last week, I have been reading Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking. Her cookbook is full with so many bistro dishes that are simple, yet delicious!

As fancy as the title sounds, this dish is truly what we already know and love: quiche lorraine. With a little extra. And the little extra here comes from the use of chopped leeks & Gruyere Cheese instead of bacon and regular shredded mozzarella! Trust me, this is truly a simple dish that you can easily make for a brunch, lunch, or supper at home, or when hosting a company! We served this along with a mesclun mix drizzled with lemon vinaigrette, and a big hefty crusty loaf of French bread for lunch, when my old friend Lindsay came to visit us. Go ahead and try this, and let me know what you think! I think we just found another new favorite at the Red's.

1 pie crust

12 small leeks (~ 3 lbs)

4 tbsp (~ 2 oz) unsalted butter

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1/4 cups of creme fraiche, or heavy cream

4 slices (~ 3 oz) ham, such as Parma ham, coarsely chopped

1 cup (~ 3 oz) freshly grated imported Gruyere Cheese

1. Roll out the dough to line a 10/5-inch (27-cm) tart pan. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan. Chill for 30 mins, or until firm. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan. Chill for 30 mins, or until firm.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.

3. Prepare the filling. Trim the leeks at the root. Cut off and discard the fibrous dark green portion. Split the leeks lengthwise for easier cleaning, and rinse well in cold water until no grit appears. Coarsely chop the leeks.

4. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over low-heat. Add the leeks, salt, and pepper to taste until the leeks are very soft but not browned, about 20 mins. If the leeks have given up an excessive amount of liquid, drain them in a colander.

5. Combine the eggs & heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl and mix until thoroughly blended. Add the leeks and mix again. Reserve 1/4 cup each of the ham and cheese to sprinkle on top of the tart. Mix the rest into the leek mixture.

6. Pour the leek mixture into the prepared pastry shell. Sprinkle with the reserved ham, and then the cheese. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.

7. Bake until nicely browned, 40-45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 6-8 servings. Adapted from Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking.