Recipe: Roasted Beet and Garlic Tart (Παντζαρόπιτα)

It’s lucky I love colorful food. There’s been nice big bunches of bright red beets in my last few Full Circle Farm CSA boxes.

The best thing about an abundance of beets is being able to experiment. I’ve already written about my savory Roasted Beet and Thyme Risotto, and just completed testing on a wonderful Roasted Beet and Garlic Tart. The tart was inspired by the traditional Greek pairing of beets and skordalia, a strongly flavored garlic sauce.

In the last few months, I’ve made beet tarts with golden beets, chiogga beets, and blood-red beets. I’ve tried various combinations of herbs and spices, and different amounts of onions and garlic. I’ve tested crusts with butter, crusts with olive oil, and crusts with both.

My finished tart recipe layers roasted beets and onions sautéed until sweet, and is seasoned liberally with fresh garlic and thyme. Feta cheese and sour cream add tang, and a crisp, flaky crust balances the filling’s strong flavors.

Roasted Beet and Garlic Tart is equally good served hot or at room temperature (I’ve been known to eat it cold, straight from the refrigerator). As a result, it can easily be made ahead and served as an appetizer or first course.

Roasted Beet and Garlic Tart (Παντζαρόπιτα)
Makes one 9-inch tart; serves 4 -6
The tart can be made successfully with any variety of beet. No matter the variety, I always roast beets to concentrate and enhance their flavor. Using a little butter in the crust (filo) isn’t traditional (nor is this tart), but it adds good flavor and flakiness. Olive oil can fully replace the butter, and the crust will be tasty, but slightly tougher. Add more water to make the crust if butter is left out. The dough may also be made by hand. If mixing by hand, make sure the olive oil is evenly distributed in the flour and use a fork or pastry cutter to add the butter.

Crust (Filo):
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small chunks
3 – 5 Tbsp. ice water

Filling:
2 cups diced onions, 1/4” dice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried thyme, crushed, plus 1/4 tsp. for sprinkling on tart
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup feta, crumbled, plus 1 Tbsp. for sprinkling on top
2 Tbsp. minced fresh mint
3 – 4 roasted and sliced beets (see NOTE below)

Make the crust: In a food processor, mix the flour, salt, and olive oil until the olive oil is thoroughly incorporated into the flour. Add the butter and pulse three or four times to break up and distribute the butter; when you are done, the butter pieces should be the size of small lentils. Add 3 Tbsp. ice water and pulse to mix. Pinch together some of the dough to see if it holds together. If it does not, add small amounts of water, pulsing to mix, until the dough holds together when pinched. Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead lightly until the dough holds together. Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured pastry cloth until it forms a 10-1/2 inch circle. Use the rolling pin to lift the dough and place it over a 9” tart pan with removable bottom. Press the dough firmly into the sides and bottom of the tart pan. Trim the dough’s edges so there is just enough to fold under and cover the sides of the pan with a double layer of dough. Prick tiny holes all over the bottom crust with a fork.

Press a double layer of aluminum foil into the dough (this will prevent it from bubbling up when it bakes). Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes or until the crust is set and lightly golden. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Reduce the oven heat to 350°F.

Make the filling: Sauté the onion, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in olive oil until the onion softens and turns golden. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Spread the onion, garlic, and thyme mixture over the bottom of the baked tart crust.
Stir together the eggs, sour cream, half and half, feta, mint, and freshly ground black pepper until they are thoroughly mixed. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the cooked onions. Arrange the sliced, roasted beets on top of the egg mixture. Sprinkle tart with 1 Tbsp. crumbled feta and 1/4 tsp. of crushed dried thyme

Bake the tart at 350°F for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

Remove the tart from the pan and serve hot or at room temperature.

NOTE: To roast beets, rub them with oil, wrap them in foil, and bake in a 400°F oven for 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the beets. The beets are done when they are tender if poked with a knife or skewer. Let the beets cool, and slip off their skins. (When I buy beets, I roast them as soon as it’s convenient, peel them, toss them in olive oil, and keep them on hand to use in recipes or salads. They last in the refrigerator about a week.)

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This is my entry for Antioxidant Rich Foods/Five-a-Day Tuesdays hosted by Sweetnicks.