Chard stars in elegant, versatile crostata

Inspiration for the recipes we publish comes from many sources. In this case, my sister supplied the recipe after I asked her "What are you cooking lately?" It's from "The Vegetable Butcher," a delightful name for a cookbook. My brother-in-law gave the results 4 stars and a "Hall of Fame" designation when she made it. That convinced me to try it.

This Italian-inspired chard crostata (or galette, the French name) is a free-form rustic tart with a filling that bakes like a quiche. Ricotta and parmesan cheeses, plus onion, garlic and herbs, contibute flavor and texture to a recipe that uses chard stems as well as leaves. I've adapted the instructions somewhat.

The crostata is big enough for a fall picnic or potluck, but keeps well enough for leftovers in a smaller household. My sister says she may halve the recipe next time, and I can see doing that.

A quick word here about the crust: Do try it, even if you're not a fan of making crusts. There's no butter, so no worries about flakiness. It needs to chill for at least 30 minutes, but it's a dream to roll out. If you're stuck for time and want to use a premade crust, at least toast the fennel seeds, and press them into the surface of the crust before filling it. The flavor is worth it.

Serve this with late-season tomatoes and a glass of sangiovese or barbera and you have a meal fit for an Italian villa.

Chard crostata with fennel-seed crust

Makes 8 to 10 slices

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds chard, white stems or rainbow or a mix, essentially 2 bunches, washed well

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (I used the Penzey's blend, which includes oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme and marjoram)

2 pinches ground nutmeg

Fennel seed crust (recipe below)

4 large eggs, divided

1/2 cup chopped scallions, optional

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Pat the chard as dry as possible. Strip the leaves from the chard stems. Trim the stems and chop enough of them into 1/4-inch dice to equal 1 cup. Slice the leaves into 1/4-inch ribbons (chiffonade them as you'd do basil leaves) so you have about 15 loosely packed cups.  Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes or until it just starts to soften. Stir in the garlic and the diced chard stems, cooking for about 5 minutes before adding the chard leaves (in batches if necessary to fit), the salt, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg.

Cook until the leaves have fully wilted and any liquid has cooked off. This may take 10 minutes or more. Remove from the heat and let the filling cool while you prepare the crust.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

If using the olive oil crust: Lightly flour a large piece of parchment paper. Flatten the dough on it, then roll it out with a lightly floured rolling pin. Create a roughly circular shape about 15 inches across; it does not (and really should not) have to be perfectly circular. The dough should not be thick in places -- at most 1/4-inch thick and even thinner is OK.

Move the parchment and dough to a large rimless baking sheet. The dough may hang over the edges, which is fine for now.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water -- this is the egg wash for the crust.

In a large bowl, beat together the 3 other eggs, then stir in the chard mixture, scallions if using (I forgot them), ricotta and grated parmesan. This is a wet mixture, but trust me, it will be fine.

Transfer the chard mixture to the center of the dough, spreading it out evenly with a spatula, and leaving a crust border of 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Gently fold the dough edges up and over the edge of the filling, pleating the dough as necessary. Brush the dough with the egg wash.

Bake the crostata until it is golden brown and the filling is firm in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Slide the crostata, still on the parchment paper, onto a wire rack. Let it cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Leftovers are good cold, but can be reheated on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Fennel seed crust

Makes one 15-inch rolled-out crust

Ingredients:

2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

Up to 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water 

Instructions:

Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring or shaking the pan, until the seeds are fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Don't let them burn. Cool.

In a food processor or large bowl, pulse or stir together the fennel seeds, flour, salt and parmesan until just blended. Add the olive oil and blend or stir to combine.

While the processor is running, or while stirring, pour in 1/2 cup of ice water (don't let any ice be part of this), then add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just begins to form a ball. The dough should be wet and smooth, but not sticky. 

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 30 seconds. Add a bit more water if it's still dry, though I didn't have this problem -- the dough was plenty smooth.

Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and wrap in plastic wrap or place in a plastic bag.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours ahead of making the crostata.