Rustic Ramp And Potato Tart

A buttery tart made with spring’s most deliciously flavourful greens!! The season seems to only now be starting here as I’m seeing them pop up at the market. The ones I got were imported and at Whole Foods a few weeks ago. Ramps are a wild onion and often called wild garlic. They look similar to a scallion but ramps have prettier and more tender greens. Their flavor is slightly more pronounced than a leek, scallion, or onion, but less than garlic- but somehow reminiscent of all four.

They can be eaten sliced thin and raw on top of rice bowls and salads or sauté them in butter or olive oil and fold them into potato salad , omelets, skillet-seared meat dishes, or pasta with cream. Spin them into pesto, toss them on to a pizza, or turn them into a wild jam. I used them along with potatoes in this tart but I also tuned the rest of my stash into ramp butter which I used in all sorts of ways - I will share the recipe for the ramp butter soon along with how I used it.

This tart is a really nice one that doesn’t take too much fussing. The crust itself is a free form one like a galette but even less fussy. You don’t need to get your folds perfect just folded over enough to hold the filling in. Speaking of that filling - it’s nothing to complex either. The base is a creamy layer of goat cheese mixed with the chopped white parts of the ramps and a sprinkle of fresh dill. Then a layer of very thinly sliced (I used a mandolin) potatoes. Then a whisked egg gets poured over the mixture which helps bind everything plus adds a certain extra layer of creaminess to the tart. The green parts of the ramps are added on top and by the time the tart bakes off the ramps develops the most delicious flavour. The edges of them get a little toasted and delicious like charred scallion with a garlicky bite.

Feel free to crumble extra goat cheese on top before serving along with some more fresh dill, some fresh cracked black pepper and a few drizzles of honey. Trust me on the honey. It’s a delicious way to add some sweetness that goes perfect with the goat cheese. This is perfect with a bitter greens salad with a lemony vinaigrette and a glass of white wine. It’s also great with your morning coffee as well. Grab some ramps while you can get them and make this tart but also preserve it by making a pesto out of it and freezing it, that way you can enjoy it later in the year when it’s no where to be found. If you didn’t get to make any pesto and don’t have access to any feel free to use the white and light parts of a leek to make this this tart - it’s a very delicious alternative! Enjoy!

Adapted from Food52 and Bon Appétit

Recipe

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 1 tablespoon
• 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

• 3-5 large ramps washed and ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for drizzling
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• salt, freshly ground pepper
• All-purpose flour (for rolling surface)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dill, divided, plus sprigs for garnishing
• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 large eggs divided, beaten (one to pour over the tart and one for the egg wash)

Directions

For the pie crust

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 stick of the butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. While the motor is running, add water in tablespoon increments until dough comes together to form a ball.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat disk.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least for 1 hour.

For the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
2. Finely mince the white parts of the ramps and throw them into a small bowl with the cream cheese, cream, and a bit of salt and pepper. Mix together well.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 9-10” round; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, spread the goat cheese mixture over dough, leaving a 1” border. Scatter dill evenly over, then top with a thin layer of potato slices. Drizzle with oil; season with salt.
4. Scatter the green parts of the ramps over potatoes. Fold edges of dough over filling, tucking and overlapping slightly as needed.
5. Pour the one whisked egg over, brush the other beaten egg over the edges of the crust and bake for 30-40 min until golden brown