Berkshire— Leslie Noyes is our art director at The Berkshire Edge and a long-time cook. Always interested in food, what Leslie didn’t learn as a foodie living in New York City, where she designed magazines, she learned working for cooking magazines where she was often tasked with taste-testing recipes. There, she asked a whole lot of questions about how to make the food she was trying. Being best buddies with the long-time art director of Eating Well didn’t hurt her cooking skills either.
Developing an autoimmune issue in recent years prompted her to completely change her diet, cutting out as much sugar as possible, as well as all nightshades, all dairy (except for well-aged cheeses,) and all grains that include gluten. This diet change mitigated her symptoms and improved her health overall. A lover of baked goods, savory and sweet, she has spent the last few years on a mission to create delicious food without the staples she was sure she couldn’t live without. Her goal, which friends and family say she has met, has been to develop delicious recipes whether your diet is restricted or not.
This one is a hearty savory tart. The crisp smoky bacon is a perfect compliment to the mellow caramelized onions flavored with thyme. She recommends serving this with a salad or side of lightly wilted greens seasoned with the best balsamic vinegar you can afford.
Caramelized Onion and Bacon Tart
Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil (no substitutions)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
10 slices bacon
4 cups Bermuda or Vidalia onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
4 large eggs
2/3 cup milk or oat milk (do not use almond milk)
1 tablespoon butter or solid vegetable spread
1 tablespoon olive oil (can be omitted if using bacon fat)
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper (optional)
1/2 cup very sharp grated cheddar, such as Cabot 5-Year cheddar (which has low lactose level)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Fluff the salt into the flour in a bowl. Add in the vegetable oil and use a fork to distribute it evenly into the flour, forming small pebbles. Add three tablespoons of water into the flour-oil mixture and mix with a fork until you can pinch it into a ball.
Roll the ball out between two layers of plastic wrap. Peel off one layer of wrap and using the other layer of wrap, gently press the crust into a 10.5 inch quiche/tart pan.
Use a knife to take off the dough that extends out over the top of the pan (or roll and crimp the edge) and use a fork to poke holes into the bottom of the crust.
Take a piece of parchment larger than the bottom of your pan and set inside the crust. Weigh the parchment down with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment and beans out and bake another 5 to10 minutes until firm, but not browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Cook the bacon in the oven at 375 degrees in a cast iron skillet until uniformly crisp. Drain on brown paper or paper towel and set aside. Once cooled, Cut into half-inch pieces.
If you want to be decadent, use a little of the bacon drippings mixed with olive oil to cook the onions. Otherwise, cook the onions in butter and olive oil on medium low, stirring them occasionally until they caramelize and turn a deep amber color. Sprinkle in the thyme and minced garlic, take off the heat, and set aside to cool.
Combine the milk, eggs, and salt, and beat well. Pour mixture into the pan. Spread the onions over the liquid (they will sink in) along with half the bacon. Sprinkle the cheese over this, followed by the remaining bacon.
Bake for 25 minutes or until set. (If you crimped the edge, you may want to place pie guards or foil over the edges to prevent over-browning.)
Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and Parmesan, plate with pasta or couscous, and serve.
Tips:
For a gluten-free version of this tart, substitute the crust with your favorite gluten-free version. Leslie recommends the gluten-free crust recipe from the “Canelle et Vanille Bakes Simple” cookbook by Aran Goyoaga.
You can bake the tart and refrigerate for up to two days. Simply bring the tart to room temperature and then bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the center is hot to the touch.
Taking apart a super-sized plastic kitchen storage bag creates excellent rolling plastic for crust.
