Buckwheat Harvest Tart Recipe (Vegetarian) | Foodal (2024)

We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. Some of these may be affiliate based, meaning we earn small commissions (at no additional cost to you) if items are purchased. Here is more about what we do.

This season, one recipe in particular has blown me away: this buckwheat harvest tart.

When I first saw the recipe, I pictured something like a pizza. But, if your mind is going to the same place, let me guide you gently toward something more along the lines of a deep-dish creation.

Made in a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, this savory vegetarian tart is a sturdy, thick pie that’s filled with a blend of roasted root vegetables, balsamic caramelized onions, sauteed leafy greens, eggs, and cheese.

Squash would also be delicious, like what’s used to fill this butternut squash and leek galette.

Making it takes time and is pretty much guaranteed to generate a mess of dishes, but the end result is filling, hearty, and different from any other tart I’ve had.

While the general concept made me think pizza, the eggs made me think quiche while in fact, it’s neither, a sort of mashup of the two in some ways, and a truly unique, hefty tart.

This recipe requires a little prep work, so I’d recommend either setting aside an afternoon to play in the kitchen, or doing as many steps ahead of time as possible.

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Measure Crust Ingredients

Measure out your buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, butter, thyme, vinegar, and cold water.

I like to fill a juice glass with cold water and a few ice cubes, so it will be ice cold when I’m ready to use it.

Cut the butter into small cubes.

Step 2 – Make Crust and Chill in Fridge

In a food processor, add both types of flour and the salt, then pulse to combine.

Next, add the cold butter cubes and thyme. Pulse again until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbles.

Add the apple cider vinegar, and pulse a few times to combine.

Finally, add cold water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice between additions, until dough just holds together without being sticky. Note that you may not need to use all of the water.

If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the crust in a mixing bowl instead.

Stir together the flour and salt. Add the thyme and work in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture forms pea-sized clumps. Mix in the apple cider vinegar with a fork until well-combined, then add cold water one tablespoon at a time until you can press the dough into a ball.

Shape dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and it place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3 – Preheat Oven and Roll Out Crust

When you’re ready to bake the crust, preheat your oven to 400°F and grease an 11-inch-round fluted tart pan, ideally the metal kind with a removable bottom. You could also use a springform pan.

While the oven preheats, lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a ¼-inch-thick circle about 13 inches in diameter.

Transfer the dough to your prepared tart pan and press it gently into the bottom and up the sides, trimming off any excess to make the sides even. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork a few times, lay a large piece of parchment paper on top, and then fill the tart shell with pie weights or a half pound of dried beans.

Since there’s no filling to hold down the crust as it bakes, the pie weights will prevent the crust from puffing up and causing uneven baking. If you use dried beans instead, you can save them to use again as pie weights, but they will not reusable for cooking.

Step 4 – Blind Bake and Cool Crust

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment paper. The weights will be hot, so the easiest way to do this is to carefully lift out the paper with the weights wrapped inside, and set them aside to cool before storing.

Bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the top of the crust looks nearly dry. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool while you prepare the filling.

Step 5 – Prep Vegetables and Measure Remaining Ingredients

Get out your vegetable peeler, a chef’s knife, and a sturdy cutting board.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ¼-inch cubes, being careful to cut evenly to promote even cooking.

Remove and discard the stems, and chop the Swiss chard. Cut the onion in half, and slice it thin.

Mince the garlic, or push it through your garlic press.

If you are using a block of cheese, grate it with your box grater or microplane. We recommend using the smallest blade option, the zesting setting, on your box grater to get the finest crumb for the cheese.

If you can’t find pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano or aged Asiago are both good substitutes.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients.

Step 6 – Roast Sweet Potatoes

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cubed sweet potatoes with ½ tablespoon coconut oil and ½ teaspoon each of salt and ground nutmeg. If your coconut oil is not softened or liquid at room temperature, melt it in the microwave on half power in 15-second bursts.

Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer on a large baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the root vegetables are soft and starting to brown.

Remove from oven and allow sweet potatoes to cool on the pan until you’re ready to use them.

Step 7 – Saute Swiss Chard

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, place a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and the garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Make sure to stir it constantly to prevent the garlic from burning and becoming bitter.

Add the chopped Swiss chard, red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Saute until chard is wilted and reduced in size, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Step 8 – Caramelize Onions

Using the same pan that you sauteed the chard in, add ½ tablespoon of coconut oil and place it back over medium heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the sliced onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir occasionally until onion has caramelized, for about 20 minutes. If you notice the onion is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Once the onions are golden brown, add the balsamic vinegar, stir, and remove the pan from the heat. Set aside.

Step 9 – Combine Filling Ingredients

Using a paper towel, squeeze out any excess water from the Swiss chard, then return it to the mixing bowl.

Add about ¾ of the roasted sweet potatoes, half of the pecorino cheese, the caramelized onions, and a ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk eggs in a small bowl, and add them to the vegetable mixture.

Step 10 – Fill Crust and Bake

Spread the filling in the blind baked tart crust, and then sprinkle the remaining sweet potatoes and cheese over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until filling is set and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the ring from the base of the pan and slicing.