Over the weekend I was inspired by an Epicurious Egg Noodle, Chard, and Fontina Torte recipe. It had all the local things in my fridge and looked quite stunning. So I tried it - what do you think?
This springy beauty is quite versitle. One could easily switch out the chard with spinach, the mushrooms with roasted peppers, and the cheddar with gruyere. Possibilities are endless. Here's how I pulled it together:
Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped, stems and center ribs discarded 1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1 1/4 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 tsp ground turmeric 1/4 pound dried tomato basil egg noodles 7 large eggs 1 cup whole milk 3/4 brick of cream cheese 1/2 pound dill cheddar cheese, grated
Method: - Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Grease springform pan with 2 teaspoons oil and wrap outside with foil. - Bring water to a boil in large stockpot - Cook onion in 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in chard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remove from heat. Cool chard mixture to warm. - While chard cools, return cooking water to a boil and cook egg noodles, uncovered, until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander, then transfer to a large bowl and toss with remaining teaspoon oil. Blend together eggs, turmeric, milk, cream cheese, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. - Stir chard and cheddar into pasta mixture, then stir in egg mixture. Pour into greased springform pan set in a large shallow baking pan (to catch any drips). Pat down chard to make surface even if necessary. - Bake until just set and top is golden brown, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in springform pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a small sharp knife around inside edge of pan to loosen torte. Remove side of pan and serve torte hot or warm.
This alone is a great meal. The ribbons of chard weave through the egg noodles and the cream cheese makes for a smooth finish. We had enough left over for a "breakfast-dinner" the next night!
