Recently, I've visited a Hutterite colony and been visited by Hutterites. Both instances resulted in the purchase of fresh vegetables, including radishes, a crown of cauliflower, peas, potatoes, beets and a few other things. I've been trying to use up those few pounds of radishes, and though I love radishes, I decided I needed a new way to eat them.
I felt inspired from my childhood by the scene in Faerie Tale Theater's rendition of Rapunzel, in which Shelley Duvall, who plays Rapunzel's mother, consumes a plethora of dishes cooked with special blue radishes. I felt like somehow I had to recreate one of those dishes. Pie. Fondue. Roasted. Fried. Tart!
This was what I came up with, and it was delicious. I might eat the whole thing, just like Shelley Duvall would have.
Free-Form Radish, Cauliflower and Pea Tart Crust recipe from America's Test Kitchen Summer Desserts
For the crust:
1 ½ C flour
½ tsp salt
10 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
4 - 6 tbsp cold water
For the filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
8 - 10 radishes, sliced
¼ head cauliflower florets, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
½ tsp salt
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 - 2 tbsp white wine
1 C peas, fresh or frozen
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
½ C grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 375ยบ. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Whisk egg and egg yolk in a small bowl. Set aside.
Mix together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter. Add 4 tbsp cold water, adding up to 2 tbsp more until a soft dough just comes together.
Meanwhile, heat oil on medium-high in a 10-inch nonstick pan until shimmering. Add radishes, cauliflower, onion, and salt. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and cook for another few minutes, until vegetables begin to brown slightly. Pour in white wine and stir until evaporated. Add peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place dough on parchment paper. Roll out dough until it's about ¼ inch thick. Transfer parchment with pastry back to pan. Brush entire pastry with egg, then pour the rest of the egg into the vegetable mixture and stir around. Pour the vegetable mixture into the centre of the pastry, then spread out, leaving about 2 inches uncovered around the edges. Sprinkle mixture with Parmesan cheese. Carefully fold up the edges of the pastry, folding over and pressing together where necessary to join the edges together.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes, adding additional thyme sprig about 20 minutes into baking. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to plate. Crush roasted leaves of thyme sprig over the tart. Serve.
