For the past two years, New Haven’s PieOn9 contest has promised a block party sweetened with all-you-can eat pie and ice cream (and a cash bar). Pruitt and I entered last year with a tray of blueberry kouign-amann and a blueberry pie. Okay okay, kouign-amann isn’t pie; we really just wanted to play with butter. As was expected for summer, almost every other pie on the tasting table was blueberry, peach, or late-season strawberries. I lost count of how many slices I devoured but I assure you they were all delicious. While our pies didn’t win the contest, we earned a dinner of pie, ice cream, and booze.

Last year’s PieOn9 entries

This summer’s PieOn9 drew an even larger crowd. Over 130 pies were submitted and inhaled within one hour! I entered the contest again, this time for the Best Savory Pie category. Pssst, I also hoped something salty would stand out from the blueberries. Turns out it did!  Shoutout to CitySeed for organizing PieOn9, which benefits their farmers’ markets and programs in New Haven.

It’s a winner!

This Potato and Leek tart is similar to our Mushroom and Gruyere Cheese version. I halved the dough recipe and assembled it in a tart pan instead of freeform like a galette. The crust is also thinner to make sure it cooks all the way through while in a pan. Like our other tart, there’s A LOT of wiggle room in the filling. Don’t like leeks? Substitute another veg! Love cheese? Keep adding to that cheese mountain in your bowl.

Potato and Leek Tart
Yields: 1 9” tart

Ingredients

Tart dough:

4.5 oz all purpose flour

3 oz (6 T) unsalted butter, cold

1.5 oz cold water

1/4 tsp salt

1 T unsalted butter, melted

2 T olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 shallot, minced

1 leek, sliced (~2 cups)

1 Yukon gold potato, shredded and patted dry* (see below)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt

pepper

1/2 tsp chopped rosemary (optional)

3.5 oz comte cheese, shredded

aluminum foil or cookie sheet (optional but recommended if using a loose-bottomed pan )

*I used the large holes on a box grater to keep the potatoes from completely breaking down when sautéed, then patted them dry with paper towels.

Using the dough blade, combine flour and salt in a food processor bowl. Slice cold butter into 1cm pats and distribute evenly over the flour. Pulse the ingredients a few times until the butter breaks down into smaller pieces. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between to incorporate the dough; it will start to shape into a ball. Remove dough from bowl, flatten into a thick disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Preheat your oven to 400F. Use a brush to coat your tart pan with melted butter. If you’re using a tart pan with a removable bottom, set the pan over aluminum foil or a cookie sheet while assembling and baking to prevent any spills on your counter and oven. Remove your tart dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll out your dough, turning it 90 degrees every so often to keep shaping it into a rough circle. Transfer the dough to the tart pan; folding the dough in quarters will make this less nerve-wracking. Lightly press the dough into the pan and trim any excess dough. Prick the surface and crust with a fork to keep the dough from puffing up. Bake the dough for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before filling.

While your dough is baking, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, stirring for one minute. Add potatoes and leeks, stirring until combined. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and cook until potatoes are slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped rosemary.

Starting and ending with a cheese layer, spread filling over the half-baked crust. Save any extra filling for later use (potato and leek omelette? yes, please!). Bake filled tart for 30 minutes (total of 50 minutes), or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and serve hot or at room temperature.