Tonight's agenda: gluten-free tart for dinner tonight. The crust is made with teff flour, which I had ever eaten. Another friend had given it to me when he left the country, so I had it on hand. I can now tell you that teff flour is made from a tiny grain native to Ethiopia. It is high in protein, iron, and fiber and has an earthy flavor.
I made crust dough and cooked the onions and sweet potatoes last night, which I would recommend, or start cooking early the day you plan to eat this. It's quiche-like, but much more interesting and a pretty great way to showcase a handful of vegetables.
Swiss Chard, Sweet Potato, and Feta Tart
Adapted from The Flour Sack
Crust
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon teff flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (or white whole wheat flour)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup milk
Filling
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
sea salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large bunch swiss chard, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
7 ounces feta
red pepper flakes
freshly ground pepper
3 eggs
Crust:
Grease a 10-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan. Mix all of the crust ingredients together. Pour the dough in the pan and press it down, starting in the middle, to form a crust of even thickness with 1-inch or 1 1/2-inch sides. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Cover it with plastic and refrigerate it for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put pie weights or dried beans upon parchment in the crust. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes until it begins to pull away from the edges. Remove the weights and bake it for another 3 or 4 minutes just until the crust is dry. Let the crust cool before adding the filling.
Filling:
Mix the sweet potatoes with enough olive oil to coat them as well a pinch of salt. Roast them in the oven until a fork can pierce them easily--about 15 minutes. Let them cool. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook them oven medium-low heat, stirring often, until they caramelize--about 35 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook them until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer them to a bowl.
Add some olive oil to a frying pan and cook the garlic over medium-low heat until it begins smell heavenly. Add the Swiss chard stems and cook them for a few minutes. Add the rest of the chard and cook until the leaves are wilted. Turn the heat off and add the onions, sweet potatoes, 1/3 of the cheese, a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and some freshly ground pepper. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and then add them to the mixture, stirring to combine. Pour the filling into the crust and then crumble the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees.