Red Onion, Goat Cheese, Whole Wheat Anise Tart

Savory tarts have become a thing for me. This is big because I was I was a person who squirmed at quiche. Too much egg.

Once I discovered in making savory tarts I could control the ingredients, mainly stuffing the tart with more cheese and veggies and less egg I was hooked.

For the filling, caramelized, balsamic red onions and roasted garlic spiked with anise seeds are layered over goat cheese.

This tart has anise flavor baked right into the crust as well as sprinkled through the filling.

Toasting the anise seeds and roasting the garlic is optional in this recipe but they really amp up the flavor. If you are short on time, skip those steps.  You can also make the crust the night before to save time the day you plan to serve the tart.

If you want to be decadent, you can add some crumbled bacon to the filling.

I found this to be a perfect weekend recipe for brunch or a light dinner served with a simple green salad on the side.

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Red Onion, Goat Cheese, Whole Wheat Anise Tart

Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 2 garlic bulbs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 teaspoons anise seed plus some for garnish, if desired
• 1+1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
• 3-4 tablespoon ice water
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 red onions
• 1/2 teaspoon white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar white or red
• 8 oz goat cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
• 1/2 package 4oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Cut the tops off of the garlic bulbs. Place them on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle each bulb with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Wrap the garlic bulbs completely in the foil and place on a small baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
2. Toast the anise seeds in a naked frying pan.
3. Whisk together the flour, salt, and 2 teaspoons of the anise seed and pour into a food processor.
4. Cut the butter into pieces. Add the butter to the processor and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized lumps.
5. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing, just until the mixture sticks together in dough form.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an flour a 10" tart pan.
8. Roll out the pie dough into a circle on a floured work surface.
9. Transfer to the pan and crimp the edges. Use a fork to poke some holes in the bottom of the crust.
10. Place a layer of parchment paper inside the pan on top of the dough. Place pie weights on top of the pan. TIP: If you do not have pie weights, fit a smaller springform pan inside the tart pan on top of the crust.
11. Place the pan in the oven and blind bake the crust for 20 minutes.
12. Remove the garlic from the oven. Squeezed out the softened, roasted cloves and discard the rest.
13. Peel and slice the onions.
14. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the tablespoon of butter in a skillet. Add the red onion rings. When the onions begin to soften, add the remaining teaspoon of toasted anise seed and cook, stirring frequently until the onions become transparent. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and cook until caramelized.
    
15. Stir in the roasted garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring.
16. Add the water and the balsamic vinegar to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid has dissolved.
17. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
18. In a separate bowl, beat together the sour cream, cream cheese. Beat in the eggs.  Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
19. Cut the goat cheese into pieces and evenly distribute them over the bottom of the tart.
20. Spread the caramelized onions over the goat cheese.
21. Pour the cream mixture over the top.
    
22. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the tart starts to turn golden brown on the top.
23. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.