Savory Custard Tarts

These little tarts make wonderful lunches and freeze well. Below is a guide for a fall filling but you can make these all year and change the ingredients with the season. It’s the perfect recipe to use up bits from the garden or the remnants of vegetables in the refrigerator.
Makes 12

For the savory custard
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup heavy cream
8 farm-fresh eggs
½ tsp. sea salt

In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients to combine. Pour into a lidded container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the filling
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1–2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 small leeks or ½ onion, thinly sliced
4 handfuls of spinach and/or kale, chopped
¼ tsp. sea salt
1½ cups cheese (cheddar, Parmesan, fontina, etc.)
¼ recipe Basic Pastry Dough (far left)

Preheat oven to 350°F; grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan. Roll pastry dough to ⅛ in. thick and cut circles 1½ times larger than the muffin cups. Line each cup with dough and fill with pie weights (or dry beans). Blind bake for 30–35 mins. until shells are light brown. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a skillet sauté garlic and onion until transparent and fragrant; add chopped greens and remove from heat when greens have wilted. Season with salt. Fill each shell with 1 tablespoon of cheese and 1/4 cup of greens; pour custard over each, filling to the top of the crust. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until custard sets.

TIP: Use the filling recipe as a guideline and aim for 3 cups of filling for 12 tarts. Keep this custard mixture in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Use dried bean or lentils as pie weights when you prebake the crusts.