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Woodstock Inn Herbed Winter Squash Tart with Cheddar Custard

By Yankee Magazine

May 15 2019

Photo Credit : Lori Pedrick; styling by Liz Neily

For episode eight in our third season of Weekends with Yankee, cohost Amy Traverso headed to Vermont to visit the Woodstock Inn & Resort’s spectacular Kelly Way Gardens, where she learned about cooking with heirloom squash. Here, colorful winter squash, fresh herbs, and a creamy cheddar custard are the basis for this simple, delicious tart.

Yield:

8 servings

For the crust:

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose, plus more for rolling the dough

1/4 teaspoon table salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, diced

1 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

First, make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Sprinkle the butter over the dry ingredients, then work it in with your fingertips until the dough looks like cornmeal with pea-sized lumps of butter. Add 1 tablespoon of the cold water and stir with a fork just until the dough comes together. If the dough is very crumbly, add the remaining water. Gather the dough into a ball, press it into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

For the tart:

Ingredients

1 pound winter squash, such as kabocha, butternut, or red kuri, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stemmed and chopped

4 sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped

2 sprigs fresh basil, stemmed and chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 large eggs

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

6 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack to the lower third position. In a large bowl, toss together the squash, onion, garlic, herbs, and salt, then drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and toss again. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, and nutmeg. Set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to a circle about 14 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 12-inch tart pan with removable rim, press down into the edges, and trim away the excess crust. Set the tart pan on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle half the shredded cheese evenly over the crust. Top with the roasted squash mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Pour the egg mixture over all. Transfer to the oven and bake until the tart is golden brown and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool, then remove the tart from the mold and serve.