FOOD

Green Bean and Fennel Tart Recipe

  

I spent the entire week in Los Angeles. I took the opportunity to visit relatives and family friends, and I even ended up teaching them a couple of dishes.

The concept for this savory tart is very simple. I showed them how to make a flaky crust that took no more than 5 minutes. Then I used whatever vegetables we had on hand. This version contained thinly sliced fennel, shallots, super sweet baby bell peppers and dill for the filling. I wanted a pop of color, so as soon as the tart was fully baked, I topped it with boiled, bright green haricots verts and a few slices of homemade mozzarella. I returned it to the oven for a few minutes and we were done. What a fun way to spend Sunday in the kitchen! 

1. Info for Green Bean and Fennel Tart Recipe

  • Cook Time: unavailable
  • Total Time: unavailable
  • Servings: 6
  • Calories: unavailable

2. Ingredients for Green Bean and Fennel Tart Recipe

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 fennel bulb (see tips)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 6 sweet baby bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 ounces haricots verts (French green beans)
  • 1 mozzarella ball, sliced

3. Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine 1¼ cups flour and ¾ teaspoon salt and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer and add the 8 tablespoons of cold butter, 1 egg and ice water. Blend until the mixture becomes thick. Make sure not to over-mix it. 
  3. Dust a flat surface with additional flour. Place the dough and roll it out into a 13-inch dough round.
  4. Transfer the dough to a non-stick, loose-bottomed rectangular (12" x 8") tart mold lined with parchment paper; following the curve of the mold, crimp the dough against the edge. Leave a little excess above the edge because the dough will settle a bit in the oven. Prick the dough with a fork. Chill in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. 
  5. Discard the stalk of the fennel bulb (or keep for garnish) and thinly slice the bulb (see tips).
  6. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallots. When the color is translucent. Add the sliced fennel bulb and baby bell peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly browned. Season with salt, paprika and ground coriander. Add about a few tablespoons of water.  Continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes, tossing by shaking the pan. Add black pepper. Transfer to a platter, garnish with dill and set aside.
  7. Wash the haricots verts. Blanch them for about 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water and transfer to an ice bath. Drain thoroughly of all water, then pat dry on a paper towel. Do not overcook the green beans; they should still be tender and crisp, not mushy, or you will have depleted all the healthy nutrients. Trim the ends of the beans. Cut the beans into 2½-inch long pieces so they fit on the tart. 
  8. Cover the dough with the fennel mixture, with as little liquid as possible. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and bake for 20 more minutes.
  9. Remove the tart from the oven and spread the green beans over the filling, Cover with the sliced mozzarella. Return to the oven for 5 minutes and bake until lightly golden. 
  10. Serve warm with a salad.
  11. Bon appétit!

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