Spring Sensation: Colorful Spiral Veggie Tart Recipe!
Spring has sprung and Easter is just around the corner. I was wandering the produce department looking for inspiration for a Veggie Tart and saw these beautiful multi-hued rainbow carrots. They reminded me of my favorite line from the Rankin/ Bass Easter television special. Seymore S. Sassafras says “I deal in magic and moonbeams and pretty, pretty colors. Oh, yes, I can sell you the most perfect pink or the most blissful blue, or a simply euphoric yellow.” Do any other 70’s kids remember that? Funny what sticks with you.
Inspired by the magic of colors and the promise of delicious flavors, I crafted a zesty spiral tart that’s as beautiful as it is scrumptious.
Well, back to the carrots. I started pondering recipes to exploit those vibrant colors. I decided on a zesty spiral tart using ultra-thin ribbons of carrot and zucchini nestled in a savory cheesecake-like base.
It’s easier to show than describe, sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words.
Honestly, the best part about this tart: it’s beautiful. But make no mistake, it’s also delicious.
The Star of the Dish:
At the heart of this tart lies a heavenly combination of ultra-thin ribbons of vegetables nestled in a savory cheesecake-like base. It’s not only a feast for the taste buds but a visual spectacle that will leave your guests in awe. Perfect as an appetizer, side dish, or even a vibrant main course.
Regarding rainbow carrots, they’re lovely but no need to purchase them unless they’re on sale. When using this spiral technique, you can use zucchini, summer squash, carrots, parsnips, eggplant, potato, sweet potato, even purple potato! If it can be peeled with a peeler, you’re in business.
In this recipe, for convenience, I used store brand flavored whipped cream cheese. The cost was only ¢20 more than plain and we don’t have to mess with it. Feel free to substitute plain cream cheese seasoned as you like. I also used an easy cracker crumb crust, but you could use your favorite pastry recipe. The star of this dish is the spiral vegetables, they’re a real visual showstopper.
While crafting this spiral vegetable tart may require a bit of effort, the end result is nothing short of spectacular. So, gather your ingredients, unleash your creativity, and treat yourself to a culinary masterpiece that’s as delightful to the eyes as it is to the palate.
And don’t forget to save a carrot for the Easter bunny—it’s a feast for all!
You may also enjoy – Easy Classic Quiche Lorraine and TOMATO AND CARAMELIZED ONION TART
SPIRAL VEGETABLE TART
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rich buttery cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- ½ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 8 ounce tub whipped cream cheese garden vegetable flavor
- 1 1 pound carrots about 4 large carrots
- 1 large large zucchini
- Drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F degrees.
- To make crust, crumble the crackers into a fine meal and blend with melted butter until all the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch tart pan, ideally with a removable bottom.
- Bake the tart shell for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl whisk the cream, egg, and salt.
- Bake the tart shell for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a small bowl whisk the cream, egg, and salt.
- In another bowl, stir the cream cheese to soften.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the egg mixture and stir to completely combine, set aside. Reserve the remainder of the egg mixture.
- To prepare the vegetables, cut both ends off the carrot. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the carrots and discard.
- Continue to peel long, wide, lengthwise layers from the carrots, until it’s a lovely pile of strips. Repeat with remaining carrots.
- Peel the zucchini in the same manner as the carrots. It’s important that the strips of veggies be similar in width. I sliced some of the zucchini in half to match the carrot.
- When you have your veggies sliced, place them in a big bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Microwave the veggies for 2 minutes to soften. This is the secret to making this technique work. You are now a keeper of the secret. Shhhh.
- To assemble the tart, using an offset spatula or back of a spoon, carefully spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottom of the tart shell. There will be some rogue crumbs, don’t worry. The spiral will cover a multitude of sins.
- Roll a strip of zucchini into a tight spiral, followed by a strip of carrot.
- Continue adding slices, alternating colors, forming a tightspiral. When this spiral becomes too big to hold in your hand, you cancarefully place it in the center of the tart.
- Continue arranging alternating layers of vegetables around the spiral until you reach the outer edge of the crust.
- Spoon the remaining egg mixture over the spiral, encouraging the mixture to sink in between the layers of veggies.
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 25minutes. Test for temperature of 140°F to ensure the egg has cooked.
- Cool and serve. It’s a little difficult to slice, a serrated knife worked best.
