Pepper-Artichoke Tart

You can go wild with combinations of fresh peppers in this savory summer tart. The Sweated Onions make a great palette to work off of. And with the nutty-tasting Gruyère and deceptively rich goat’s cheese, even your most dedicated carnivores won’t notice they’re not eating meat. SAM

Savory Pastry or Whole Wheat Savory Pastry
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 large bell peppers
2 or 3 small poblano, chipotle, or banana peppers, trimmed, seeded and thinly sliced [See Hot Pepper Prep Cooking Tip]
1 jalapeño pepper, trimmed, seeded and thinly sliced, if desired
1 tablespoon marsala wine or dry sherry
2 ounces log goat’s cheese
2 ounces water
1 ounce Gruyère cheese, finely grated
2 large marinated artichoke hearts with stems, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare the pastry and press it into a 9-inch tart pan or 10-inch oval gratin dish. Blind-bake for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly crisp.

In a large chef’s pan over low heat, sweat the onions in 1 tablespoon of oil for 15 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sweating until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 15 additional minutes. Smash the garlic with a spoon and stir through the onions. Meanwhile, in a medium chef’s pan over medium-high heat, santé the peppers in 1 tablespoon oil for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the marsala wine and stir vigorously to release the fond or sticky juices on the bottom of the pan. In a small pan over very low heat, melt the goat’s cheese in the water, stirring frequently. Smear the bottom of the pastry crust with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Layer the Gruyère, then the onions and garlic, then the artichokes, then the peppers. Pour the melted goat’s cheese on top and bake for 20 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.

COOKING TIP: Hot Pepper Prep

The capsaicin in hot peppers can burn your fingers and any other body part you happen to touch with your fingers. I once burned my eyes with banana peppers—very scary. With the exception of bell peppers, always wear rubber gloves when seeding and chopping even medium hot peppers. If you don’t have gloves, put sandwich bags over your hands. Remove gloves or bags by turning them inside-out and place them immediately in the trash.