Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

Another ingredient that is available during spring is the fiddlehead fern and the last few years I have been enjoying experimenting with them. Fiddlehead ferns are young ferns that are picked before the frond has opened. They are commonly used as a vegetable and their flavour can be compared to that of asparagus. This year I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the fiddleheads, a savoury fiddlehead tart! For the base of the tart I used sheets of phyllo dough and I topped them with some sauted leeks with a bit of garlic and then I covered everything with a layer of gruyere cheese followed by the fiddlehead ferns themselves. I like using phyllo pastry for tarts like this as it bakes up nice and light and flakey and golden brown which is perfect for a light spring meal.

Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

A fiddlehead and leek tart covered in melted gruyere on a light and flaky, golden brown phyllo crust.

Servings: make 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• 3 sheets phyllo dough, thawed as directed on package and cut in half lengthwise
• * olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup gruyere, grated
• 1/2 pound fiddleheads, well cleaned and blanched for 3 minutes

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add the leek and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Remove from heat, mix in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Place a sheet of the phyllo dough on a greased baking sheet and brush it with oil. Repeat with the remaining sheets each on top of the last.
6. Sprinkle the leeks over the phyllo followed by the cheese and finally the fiddleheads.
7. Bake in a preheated 375F oven until the phyllo dough is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Similar Recipes:
Asparagus and Gruyere Tart
Zucchini and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Parmesan Tart
Ham and Leek Tart
Fiddlehead Carbonara
Fiddlehead Shrimp Scampi
Wild Leek and Double Smoked Bacon Tart

Use leftover phyllo dough in:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup
Tomato Tart
Baklava
Apple and Cheddar Quiche
Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie)
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Strawberry Goat Cheese Banitsa
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)