This Roasted Fennel Potato Gruyere Tart is so insanely good! The crust is super flaky, buttery and nutty. The roasted fennel compliments the potatoes and Gruyere splendidly. I could eat this for a week straight! Oh wait, I actually did!
I don’t know why, but this tart reminds me of when my friend Tanya and I use to frequent a cool little cafe on the Venice boardwalk called Figtree’s Cafe and Grill. We would order cappuccinos and sometimes a pastry and we would imagine that we were in France or Italy. We didn’t just imagine, we would really try and visualize what it would feel like to actually be there. We would do this often and after we finished our cappuccinos, we would wander down to Small World Books bookstore to look through travel guides plotting our adventures as if we had the means. After about six months of doing this, we both ended up traveling, not together but at least our dreams were coming true. She became a part of a seven-person crew on a sailboat that sailed to the tip of Mexico and back. She also traveled all through Europe. I ended up traveling in Southeast Asia, Europe and New Zealand. When I look back, I realize that this was the first time I had practiced the law of attraction.
Tanya and I met back up in Maui a year later, but that’s a story for another time. She has since lived in England where she reconnected with her childhood friend Peter and ended up marrying him and now they have three beautiful children. They later moved to Singapore and lived there for 10 years and recently they moved to the polar opposite Switzerland! Tanya is one of my most favorite people on the planet and she is an amazing photographer. She flew all the way from Switzerland to attend my wedding and also took some amazing wedding photos. I still can’t believe it! You can see a few of our wedding photos on the post she wrote about us on her very impressive blog, Tanya Moss Photography.
This tart is great with a Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, White Rioja or a Sauvignon Blanc.
Roasted Fennel Potato Gruyere Tart
- 1 Recipe Almond Buckwheat Crust – recipe below
- 1 Fennel Bulb – cut in half – sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch
- Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Yukon Gold Potatoes – sliced rounds about 1/8th inch
- 1 1/2 Cups (6 ounces) Gruyere Cheese – shredded – divided
- 1 Cup Pecorino Cheese – finely shredded – divided
- 8 oz. Creme Fraiche
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Rosemary – minced
- 3/4 Cup Ground Almonds
- 1 Cup Buckwheat Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Cup Salted Butter – cold
- About 2 Tablespoon Ice Water or until it sticks together (don’t over do it)
Instructions:
Dough
In a food processor, grind the almonds into small crumb size.
Add flour and salt In the food processor, pulse several times to combine.
And 1/4 inch piece of butter.
Pulse a few times to evenly break up the butter then add ice water slowly as you pulse, until it resembles a coarse meal with tiny pieces of butter. It will be crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers, do not over process.
Empty the dough into a 10″ tart pan. Press the dough with your fingers into the tart pan. It takes a bit to get it even over the bottom of the tart pan and up the sides. Poke holes in the bottom with a fork and place the crust into the refrigerator for 30 minute.
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Put a piece of parchment paper over the tart and fill with pastry beads or dried beans and bake for 10 minutes. Take the beads out of the tart and bake for 10 more minutes.
While dough is in the refrigerator roast the Fennel.
Fennel
375 Degrees
Cut the fennel in half and cut out the core. Cut each half horizontally into 1/4 -inch slices. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat. Roast for 15 – 20 minutes or until soft and golden. Set aside.
Potatoes
Slice potatoes into thin slices (about 1/8-inch thick). Add potatoes to a pot and cover with water then bring to a boil, continue to boil for 2 minutes. Make sure and keep an eye on them.
Cheese and Creme Fraiche
Assemble
*
Health benefits
Buckwheat Flour is a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. It’s a great alternative grain for people who are sensitive to wheat glutens. It is high in insoluble fiber and is incredibly good for the heart, cholesterol and high blood pressure. It’s great for diabetics as it it lowers blood sugars more slowly than rice or wheat. It is awesome for the digestion and it helps to clean and strengthen the intestines. Buckwheat contains more antioxidants that most other grains.
