Tourte De Blettes Swiss Chard And Apple Pastry Recipes

APPLE AND SWISS CHARD PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Place butter, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix at the slowest speed for 30 seconds. Add flour and mix at the slowest speed until well combined. Add vodka and 3 tablespoons water and mix only until dough comes together; add more water as needed. Do not overmix. The dough should be completely homogenized and will feel slightly tacky.
• Scrape mixture out onto a work surface. Weigh and divide into two uneven pieces, one 2/3 of the total weight and the other 1/3 of the total weight. Flatten to about 1/2-inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight.
• Lightly butter a 9- to 9 1/2-inch tart pan or pie dish. Roll out the larger piece of the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Transfer dough to pan, allowing edges of dough to hang over sides. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least one hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Place raisins in a bowl and cover with rum. Leave for 20 minutes or longer.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Adjust oven rack so it is in the lower third of the oven.
• Wash the greens. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the still-wet chard a handful at a time. Stir until greens collapse, then add another handful. Add a generous pinch of salt and continue until all greens have wilted. Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water. Take up handfuls of chard and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside. You should have 1 generous cup chopped chard.
• Place sliced apples in a large bowl and toss with brown sugar. Drain raisins and discard rum.
• In another large bowl, beat eggs. Remove 2 tablespoons for brushing the crust and set aside in a small bowl or ramekin. Add a pinch of salt to the eggs in the large bowl, and stir in chard, apples, raisins, pine nuts, powdered sugar and cheese.
• Remove lined pan and remaining dough from refrigerator. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, until the edges of the dough in the pan are pliable. Pierce the bottom all over with a fork, leaving about an inch between the rows. Brush lightly with beaten egg. Scrape in chard and apple filling.
• Roll out remaining dough and place on top of filling. Join the edges of the top and bottom pastry and pinch together to form an attractive lip. Make a few slits in top of dough and place pan on a baking sheet. Brush the top generously with reserved egg. If there are any spare pieces of dough, shape into little balls to decorate the top crust.
• Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake another 40 to 45 minutes, until nicely browned. (If edges are browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil after 30 minutes.)
• Allow to cool completely, which will take a couple of hours. The pie can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

TOURTE DE BLETTE

Steps:

• Make the pie pastry in the usual way and chill for 30 minutes or until firm. Line a 10-inch pie pan with two-thirds of the dough and chill 15 minutes, or until firm.
• Preheat oven at 375 degrees.
• Bake the pastry and leave to cool.
• Make the filling: Set the raisins in milk for 30 minutes, then simmer them in the milk for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain and discard the milk.
• Remove the ribs from the chard and use only leaves. Add leaves to a large pot of boiling water and boil for three to four minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain again and squeeze out excess liquid. Chop the chard and mix it with raisins, apples, pine nuts, jelly, sugar, cheese, eggs, lemon rind and rum.
• Spoon the filling into the baked shell. Roll out the remaining dough in a thin layer and use a pan lid to cut a circle a little larger than the diameter of the top of the pie shell. Set the circle on top, pressing to stick it to the edges of the baked shell and bake for one hour or until the dough is golden brown. Let it cool in the pan and serve at room temperature, sprinkled, if you like, with sugar.

TOURTE AUX BLETTES - A SWISS CHARD TART FROM PROVENCE

Steps:

• Make the pastry crust - blend flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest. Add oil and work it in by hand, then add the eggs to combine to form a smooth, workable dough. If it's too dry to hold together, add a little water - but just a little. Cover and refrigerate as we prepare the filling.
• Trim the Swiss chard leaves from the stems, setting aside the stems for another use. wash the leaves.
• Transfer the wet leaves to a large pot and steam until they have wilted - about 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess moisture, and chop coarsely.
• Cover the raisins with the alcohol and heat gently or microwave for a few seconds.
• Toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat until fragrant in a dry skillet.
• Combine the chard with the sugar, the raisins with the alcohol plumped in, the pine nuts, the lemon zest, and the egg - everything but the apple.
• Divide the pastry dough in half and roll out on a floured surface into a large round, perhaps 30 cm / 12 inches across. If the tough tears, simply press it back together - it's an easy crust to work with.
• Place the disk into a shallow fluted tart pan or - as we have done here - simply transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Place the filling on the bottom crust and cover with the apple or pear slices, if using.
• Cover with the top crust and seal the edges.
• Bake at 190° C / 375° F until golden - about 30-40 minutes
• Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

TOURTE DE BLETTES (SWISS CHARD AND APPLE PASTRY)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Blanch Swiss chard in large pot of boiling water 15 seconds, or until wilted. Drain, and rinse under cold water. Squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside. Combine ricotta and confectioners' sugar in bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup egg substitute and milk. Add chard, currants, 1/3 cup almonds, and nutmeg. Cut pastry sheet in half. Roll each half into 10- x 9-inch rectangle on floured work surface. Place 1 piece puff pastry over 8-inch-square nonstick baking pan, and press into sides of pan. Spoon in chard mixture, and arrange apple slices on top. Place remaining piece of pastry on top of apples, and roll edges to seal. Brush with remaining 1 tsp. egg substitute, and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbs. almonds. Prick pastry top with knife to vent. Bake 45 minutes. Cover with foil, and bake 45 minutes more, or until pastry is golden. Cool on wire rack, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.