Chef for a Day

Manchego and Vidalia onion tart
Monday, September 10, 2007

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"Impress for Less!" by Hope Fox (John Wiley & Sons, 2007)

Organized by city of origin, the dishes in this new cookbook come from chefs at restaurants around the country. Each restaurant offers one of its recipes, and Hope Fox adapts them for home cooks' convenience. Given that restaurants can choose only one dish to represent their menus, it's understandable that they might shy away from meatless creations. Fortunately, Talula in Miami Beach, Fla., which developed this tart recipe, understands that fine dining doesn't have to involve a steak knife.

-- Evelyn Shih
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Manchego and Vidalia onion tart

* 1 store-bought 9-inch pie crust, thawed
* 1 stick unsalted butter
* 3 pounds Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
* ½ cup heavy cream
* 2 large eggs
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
* 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* ¾ pound aged manchego or pecorino Romano cheese, grated
* ½ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, thyme)
* 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
* 1 red onion, thinly sliced
* 3 cups baby greens
* ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette
* ¼ cup drained, diced, pickled beets
* Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Thaw the pie crust, if necessary.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are very tender and just beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese and herbs. Spread the cooled onions evenly in the bottom of the pie crust. Pour in the egg mixture. Bake until the egg is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, toss the fennel, onion and greens in a bowl with the vinaigrette. Divide among 4 serving plates. Place a spoonful of the beets to the side on each plate. Place a slice of the warm tart next to the salad and garnish with chopped chives.

Servings: 4.

Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.