This tart is such a showstopper! And a great excuse to go to the Farmers Market and pick up different veggies that look yummy. I get very excited when fiddlehead ferns make an appearance in early summer and this is a good opportunity to show them off. But really, you can use any variety of veggies on top of the tart. Experiment.

You’ll want to have an 18 x 13 cookie pan lined up (in other words, a shallow big baking sheet). As well as some filo .. make sure it is fresh filo as filo that has been hanging out in the freezer for months tends to be hard to manage. You’re also going to need a brush with which to use the butter to coat the filo.

This will feed a crowd. At least a dozen.

1 package of frozen filo. Let it thaw.

1/2 stick of melted butter

1 cup of full fat ricotta

4 eggs

1 cup of heavy cream

1 lb of fresh spinach

1 lb of green squash (if you’re going with the green theme!)

1/2 lb of fiddlehead ferns

1/2 lb of snow peas

1/2 lb of snap peas

1/2 of asparagus (I tend to use the tips)

Heat oven to 375F

Layer about 5 sheets of filo on the cookie sheet, washing each sheet with a brush of the melted butter. Then mix up the eggs, ricotta, and heavy cream. Set aside.

Saute the spinach so that it cooks down all the way through. Mix that into the creamy, eggy mix and spread that over the filo on the cookie sheet.  Have a taste and add salt and pepper as appropriate to your taste.

Thinly slice the squash (a food processor is good for this task) and layer the slices on top of the creamy mix. Bake for about 30 minutes.

While the tart bakes, you’ll want to blanche all the remaining veggies. That means just pop them in boiling water for about a minute. So they still have crunch but are not entirely raw. They’ll also turn a vivid green doing this. Prepare a pot of boiling water. Also prepare another pot of ice water. Dunk the veggies in the boiling water until cooked through al dente and then throw them into the ice water promptly. This will make sure they keep their green and their crunch. 

Once the veggies are chilled all the way through, drain them and let them dry. 

Remove the tart from the oven and layer the remaining veggies on top. 

Ta-dah! Ready. Let the tart cool a wee bit so it’ll be easier to slice.