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Savory yet Sweet Bacon, Chard, and Walnut Tart

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Savory yet Sweet Bacon, Chard, and Walnut Tart

Photo by WinnieAb

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Late Winter Tart (Sweet or Savory)
kristen miglore's Testing Notes: What an unexpected, but completely brilliant, combination of flavors for a quiche. The maple in the custard is subtle, just there to accent the bacon, greens and walnuts that anchor the filling...
What an unexpected, but completely brilliant, combination of flavors for a quiche. The maple in the custard is subtle, just there to accent the bacon, greens and walnuts that anchor the filling. The walnut oil crust is another stroke of genius. Do your best to roll it out and transfer to the tart pan, but don't stress if it crumbles: as WinnieAb notes, you can make up for any breakage with some well-placed patches.

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WinnieAb's Notes: It was a long and winding road to get to this recipe, I tell ya. I started with a butternut squash, chard and burrata tart (it was pretty good, but I didn't adore it enough to post for this...
It was a long and winding road to get to this recipe, I tell ya. I started with a butternut squash, chard and burrata tart (it was pretty good, but I didn't adore it enough to post for this contest). I then made a similar one, but with goat cheese (and still didn't LOVE it). Finally, I made the one you see here, which is my favorite. I tried a a few different crusts, too: the first was all butter and the second was butter and leaf lard, but then I switched gears and settled on this one which utilizes walnuts and walnut oil (and was inspired by Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini's Olive Oil Crust). If you can't find toasted walnut oil, you can substitute olive oil. I used a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. - WinnieAb

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Serves 8

Walnut Tart Crust:

1 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup walnut meal (made from whirring walnuts in a blender until fine) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup toasted walnut oil Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup ice water (you probably won't use it all) Ask a question about this ingredient

Bacon, Chard and Walnut Filling:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, heated in a hot skillet for a minute or two until "toasted" (be careful not to burn them) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup chopped thickly sliced bacon (I used home-cured organic, pastured bacon with no preservatives that I made for charcutepalooza; feel free to use your favorite bacon, preferably one that is thickly sliced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 cup chopped sweet/Vidalia onion Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil Ask a question about this ingredient

1 bunch green chard leaves, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

4 eggs, preferably organic and free-range Ask a question about this ingredient

1/2 cup organic heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup Ask a question about this ingredient

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, plus more for optional garnish Ask a question about this ingredient

1 pinch sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient

dash of ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, walnut meal, and the salt.
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Add the toasted walnut oil and mix well.
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Add about 1/4 cup of the water, and using your hands, mix until it starts to form a dough. Add more water, a tablespoon or so at a time, and keep using your hands to mix until it comes together into a ball.
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Roll out into a little bigger than the bottom of your tart pan on a floured surface. It's ok if it falls apart a little- it's better not to overwork it and just to press the extra pieces into the tart pan.
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Rub the bottom and sides of your tart pan with toasted walnut oil and then transfer the rolled-out dough into the tart pan. Using the heel of your hand (or whatever that part of your hand under your thumb is called), press the dough into the bottom and half-way up the sides of your tart pan. Any pieces that broke off while you were rolling can be pressed in now. I am all for charmingly rustic tart crusts, so don't worry if it doesn't look perfect.
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Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork, then cover with a layer of foil and place pie weights or a layer of dried beans on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the weights/beans and foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until crust just starts to brown and become fragrant. Set aside while you make the tart filling; reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
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In a cast-iron skillet, cook chopped bacon for several minutes, until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Pour half the bacon fat into another skillet and leave the rest where it is.
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Add chopped onion to one of the skillets along with the tablespoon of toasted walnut oil. Cook for about 20 minutes over low heat, stirring every now and then, until well caramelized.
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In the other skillet, cook the chard over low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes. until fully wilted. When the onions are done, combine them with the chard, the toasted walnuts, and the cooked bacon in a large bowl. Add the thyme leaves and mix well.
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Add the eggs, cream, and maple syrup to a small bowl and whisk until blended. Add this to the bacon mixture and combine. Pour into the par-baked tart shell.
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Place the filled tart pan on a cookie sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the center of the tart is set, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing the tart from the outside and bottom of the pan; garnish with additional fresh thyme if desired before serving.
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