My memory must be fading... like a distant memory. I can't recall what exactly prompted me to make up this tart. It might have been that I was craving a tart-like something, or maybe I saw a quiche and had slice envy. All I remember is a deep desire to eat crust. The solution for when you have a hankering for something? Go shopping.

It's been stated that you should never shop when you are hungry but I was on a mission, which helped keep this buying event to a minimum. I was lucky enough to find a gluten free tart shell that didn't have a lot of crap in it. Happiness in the frozen section propelled me with glee back to the produce isle.

There I found leeks and fennel which were looking fresh and seemed like a fine fit for my crust craving creation. I knew I had onions and goat cheese (which apparently are in endless supply in my house). Last item needed to make myself a luscious tart that would halt my hankering for quiche was cream. I don't eat eggs. Pity me. Yes, pity me because I love eggs and they are in EVERYTHING. But alas, eggs don't love me. An epic unrequited love story.

Since no eggs, no quiche. No problem. This tart was going to kick the butt of any egg laced tart dish.
And yes, although this is gluten and egg free, I did not say calorie free. So this one may not be my healthiest share but it might become a special favorite for when indulging is on your mind.

There aren't too many steps to this making this, minus a little slicing. But you have to do that in most recipes, so stop any belly-aching. Homemade food does require a tad of effort.

Ingredients

Pie Crust 9" (I used Wholly Gluten Free)
4 c leeks, sliced and thoroughly washed
1 heaping c onions, sliced
1 heaping c fennel, sliced
4 oz. goat cheese
1 c heavy cream
fresh thyme, optional
1 T butter
Magic 3 (Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper)

Instructions

Using a fork, pierce holes in the bottom and sides of the crust. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown. Set aside.

Prep the crust by making fork holes to prevent from bubbling up.

While the crust is baking, slice the leeks and soak them in water. Removing and rinsing several times. (Leeks are laden with sand and you want to ensure there isn't a grain left. When changing the water, remove the leeks from the water using a strainer or big slotted spatula as opposed to dumping the water and leeks into a strainer. If you do the latter, all the sand will go right back through the leeks. By removing the leeks, the sand stays at the bottom of the water. Then just dump and refill with fresh water. )

Wash, soak, dump water. Wash, soak and dump again. Do this until no more sand appears at the bottom of the bowl.

While the leeks are soaking, slice the onions and fennel. Once all vegetables are ready, sauté in butter and oil, seasoning with salt and pepper. If you decide to use the fresh thyme, add it now. Cook these until fully caramelized.

Sauté slowly until they are completely broken down and beautifully caramelized.

Now with all the items ready, fill the pie crust with the vegetable mixture, top with tons of goat cheese and pour in the cream. You can also just mix all these ingredients together in a bowl and then fill the pie. Your choice. I didn't mix it because I envisioned the pie I saw layers in my head. Silly me, it truly makes no difference.

Vegetable mixture, goat cheese, heavy cream and crust waiting to join forces.

Fill the bottom with the sautéd vegetable mixture. (Or you can mix the veggies with the cream and goat cheese and then pour in.)

Lots of cheese and creamy goodness tops this tart off.

Place the pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until center stops wiggling and when tested with a toothpick it comes out clean.

Let it cool slightly to allow it to set. You can serve it warm, at room temp or even cold. Slice and pair it up with a soup or salad. This is ideal for brunch, lunch or dinner side dish. I made it when my friend, Emilce came for an overnight stay. We both had a slice, leaving the rest of the pie all to myself for days. Bliss!

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