Savory Swiss Chard Tart

Pastry

• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling

• 1 pound Swiss chard, leaves only
• sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup golden raisins

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Prepare the pastry: Combine flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup water, then the oil, mixing until thoroughly blended. Knead briefly. The dough will be VERY moist, much like a cookie dough. Press the dough into a 10-1/2-inch loose-bottomed metal tart pan.
3. Prepare filling: Wash and DRY the green leafy portion of the chard, saving the center white (or red) stems for the stockpot, or braising à la Française. Break up the leaves and coarsely chop them in several batches, in a food processor. [If they are not completely dry, they will turn into mush instead of chopping.]
4. Place the chard in a large shallow sauté pan over low heat, and season with salt and pepper. Wilt the chard and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Toast the pine nuts by heating (to medium) a shallow pan large enough to hold all the nuts in a single layer. Add the nuts and toss until lightly browned on all sides. Do not leave unattended, even for a short time, or the result is likely to be burned pine nuts! Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. Beat the eggs slightly in a medium bowl. Add cheese and mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in the chard, raisins and toasted pine nuts, and mix well. Pour the whole thing into the prepared pastry shell.
7. Bake until the crust is golden and the chard mixture is firm and browned (about 40 minutes). Serve at room temperature for maximum flavor.
8. Note: If Swiss chard is not available, spinach may be substituted. Be sure to remove the stems of the spinach completely, also.