Betty's Belgian Endive Tart

Betty was a prolific family cook I once knew who called everything she made in her tiny kitchen "simple comme bonjour" and who generously shared recipes. If there was one cuisine she knew very well it was French regional. Her Belgian endive tart with Herve cheese perfectly matches my predilection for the savory tart.

An exquisite cheese shop and the purchase of an unknown French cheese a few Saturdays ago was a good reason to try it myself. Here is her recipe. The crust (300 g spelt flour, 100 g butter, 0,5 dl water, pinch of salt, one egg) is the pasta frolla taken from a cookbook from Switzerland called Cucina Verde. One can leave out the egg. Belgian endive is used, but other vegetables -Betty suggested zucchini- will do too. Belated posting, due to some camera problems. 

Betty's Belgian Endive Tart

Serves 4-5

1 kg Belgian endive
1 smalll cheese, such as Munster or Herve (anything smelly and soft)
1 crust
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (*)


Prepare a crust (note: see Nov 6, 2011 post "A Swiss treat" for best recipe).

Wash the Belgian endives, remove all leaves so they can be dealt with individually, dry them, and fry them by the handful in butter or olive oil until they are golden brown. Mix some flour and powdered sugar under the fried endive leaves.

Divide the endive leaves over the crust, and put the cheese slices on top.

Bake at 180 °C for 45-60 minutes (my oven only needs 40-45)

Serve with a salad as an appetizer.

* The flour-powdered sugar mixture isn't a must, but it does add taste. I made the tart again a second time with Reblochon cheese and an endive-fennel mixture, which I had stewed beforehand, but not until golden brown. No tablespoons of flour-sugar. This second tart was excellent as well; fennel lends itself beautifully.