Wisconsin Cheese Tart with Apple-Walnut Salad
Tart:
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup ((4 ounces) Roth Käse Grand Cru Gruyère cheese
- ¼ cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled creamy Gorgonzola cheese
- 1 (16-ounce) box phyllo dough
- ¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, clarified
- ⅛ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅛ cup aged Modena balsamic vinegar
- Turbinado sugar, to taste
- 12 ounces mixed baby salad greens
- ¼ cup black walnuts
- 3 Gala apples, cored and finely sliced
- Kosher salt and pepper
Instructions:
You can serve this dish as an elegant first course or as a light entree for brunch or dinner.
- For the tart, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Combine the chopped herbs, eggs, and cream in a mixing bowl. Blend until smooth. Stir in the cheeses. Season to taste and refrigerate.
- Remove the phyllo dough from the packaging. While it is still rolled up, trim a quarter inch off each end of the dough. Unroll the dough and cover with a towel to prevent drying.
- On a cutting board, spread flat one layer of phyllo dough and brush with some of the clarified butter. Top with a second layer of phyllo and butter. Continue until four layers are completed. (Refrigerate the remaining phyllo for another use.)
- Using a sharp knife, cut 12 (4-inch) phyllo squares, and put each square into an ungreased standard-size muffin tin, shaping into a cup. Fill the cups two-thirds full with the cheese mixture. Bake until the phyllo is crisp and the custard is set. When cool, carefully remove the tarts from the muffin tins. Place one on each of twelve serving plates.
- For the salad, in a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, and turbinado sugar for salad dressing. Blend well. Toss the greens, walnuts, and apple slices with the dressing. Arrange a portion of salad beside each tart. Season to taste and serve.