Broccoli Rising and Gift Wrap or The Queen of (Savory) Tarts
Your fabulous last-minute gift idea is here - and gift-wrapped too.
I used to be a last minute holiday shopper, shopping right before Christmas and Chanukah. I mean like the day before. It wasn’t procrastination, it was a joyful if adrenaline-charged affair, dashing through the shops and finding gifts for everyone on my list. Now I think, who was that girl?
First of all, the funky local indie shops I choose to support are fewer and fewer, bought out/smothered by big box brands and internet shopping. And honey, I don’t do malls. More to the point, how much stuff do we really need? But I don’t shaft people for gifts, c’mon, who do you think I am? So what can you do? What can you gift just before Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa? What’s festive and shows you care?
Make a savory vegetable tart. By this point, everyone has had enough Christmas cookies. Serving a vegetable tart — or bringing one if you’re a guest — is a gift that comes from your heart and from your kitchen. The gift is the vibrant vegetable filling, the wrap is the pastry, and it’s edible. It doesn’t go into landfill, it goes into you, your friends and your family. and makes everyone happy and nourished.
You can buy ready-to-bake pizza dough, and no one will blame you. However, I’m happy to share two foolproof tart dough recipes that require only an hour’s rise time.
I’m a fan and friend of Anna Thomas, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and all-around terrific person. Anna’s Christmas tradition is making piergogi, little savory pastries. I’d love to be in the kitchen with her so we can make them together. Some other year. This close to the holiday, there’s no time for fuss. Anna’s flatbread recipe does admirable duty as the pastry gift wrap for a galette, or rustic tart. I often make it a day or two ahead and keep it wrapped and refrigerated till I need it for this wintery, cozy galette filled with greens. Turns out Anna does something similar in her cookbook Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore
Great Greens Galette
1 batch flatbread dough, purchased or homemade
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more to brush on the pastry
1 onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
6 ounces fresh spinach leaves or other tender greens
1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley, tarragon or basil, chopped fine
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the sliced onion, minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir and reduce heat to medium, so the vegetables soften gently and turn fragrant and golden.
Chop your spinach and slice away their annoying stems. Add them to the onion mixture and stir. The greens will wilt down in a hot minute. Turn off the heat and add your fresh herbs. If you like spanokopita, classic Greek spinach pie, dill is ideal, but I’ve made this with every green herb including mint and it never disappoints.
Add the nutritional yeast, vegan cream cheese and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Vegan cream cheese will melt nicely into the greens, Season gnerously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out your pastry dough into a 16-inch round or oval, or something approaching it. This is the beauty of galettes — they’re meant to be rustic, artisanal.
Gently place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
Spoon greens filling on the center of the pastry. Spread evenly, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Now pull the edges in towards the center, creating an edible frame for the green filling showing. A few loosely gathered pleats in the dough look impressive.
Sprinkle pine nuts on top and maybe a little sea salt too. Brush the edges of the pastry with a little olive oil.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until galette is golden brown and set. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Serves 6 as a main course, perhaps with a salad. Serves 8 to 10 as a party nibble.
Greens goddess Deborah Madison shares a tomato and red pepper recipe in her book In My Kitchen. Her recipe’s also on Amazon so I don’t think the publishing police will come after me for sharing my version, which uses shortcuts and, thanks to the magic of aquafaba, doesn’t use egg. The tart dough is really forgiving to work with and will give you slightly more than you need.
Tomato and Red Pepper Tart
1 package prepared pizza dough OR
1 package (2-1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
a1/2 teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
1/2 cup tepid water
3 tablespoons olive oil
pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons aquafaba
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
For the filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 6-ounce jar roasted red peppers, sliced into long strips
16 kalamata olives, pitted
a few sprigs fresh basil leaves, torn or 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, chopped fine
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Pour yeast and sugar into a large bowl. Pour in the water. Give it a stir or give the bowl a gentle swish so the yeast and sugar dissolve. Set aside and let the yeast proof until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Add the olive oil, sea salt and aquafaba. Stir in the flour, about half a cup at a time. When it gets too stiff to stir, continue to add flour, kneading it in as you go. Sprinkle in a little flour if it seems sticky. Keep kneading for a few minutes until dough is firm and a little bouncy.
Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside for about an hour.
Meanwhile, make your filling. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the sliced onion, minced garlic, red pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Stir and reduce heat to medium, so the vegetables soften and turn fragrant and golden, about 15 minutes.
Now gently pour in the chopped tomatoes, trying to avoid splatter. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and let tomatoes cook down until thick and jammy. This can take about 45 minutes. but only needs an occasional stir.
Stir in the basil or rosemary into the tomato filling and season generously with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400℉. Have a 10 -inch tart pan ready.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough. Lay the dough in the tart pan.
Pour in the tomato filling. and smooth it so it’s even. Lay the pepper strips on top in a basketweave pattern. Place an olive in each of the little squares formed by the peppers.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Serves 6 to 8.
Don’t know which tart to make? Make both! One is green, one is red, you’ve got the Christmas colors going, and the vegetables come gift wrapped in pastry.
Too holiday frazzled to bake a tart? I’ve still got your back — annual Broccoli Rising subscriptions are half off through Christmas — with exclusive recipes, interviews and extras, great for everyone on your list.
Wishing everyone a merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, joyful Kwanzaa and happy, lucky New Year. Eating Hopping John on New Year’s Day promises good fortune in the year to come. Plus, it’s just delicious.
Broccoli Rising returns to your inbox on January 6.