Spinach Tart

Remember that extra pie crust from the rhubarb pie? Here's what I did with it. I called this a tart, because I was out of both cheese and milk when I made this, but I did have lots of eggs and spinach. If you have fresh spinach from the garden this is even better, but many kinds of greens are delicious with eggs - my favorites are spinach and kale, though chard, beet greens or collard greens will work as well.

Ingredients:

1 pie shell
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2-1/2 cups chopped spinach or kale
1/2 tsp salt
4 or 5 large eggs, depending on size of pie plate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Line an 8 or 9 inch pie plate with pie dough. Prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate while the vegetables are cooking. Heat the olive oil and butter in a nonstick pan set over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, mushrooms, and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms begin to color, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds more, just until the spinach wilts. You'll need to add a little extra cooking time for kale or beet greens, and several extra minutes for chard or collard greens. Add the salt, stirring to combine the vegetables and salt together. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk with a fork until the whites and yolks are combined. Use 4 eggs for an 8 inch pie plate, and increase the number of eggs to 5 for the 9 inch pie plate. Pour the cooked vegetables into the pie crust, then pour the eggs over the vegetables. Place the tart in the oven, reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 30 minutes. Check to see if the eggs are cooked through. If not, cook for an additional 5 or 10 minutes until the center no longer jiggles.

Serves 4 to 6

Stealthy Cooking Tip: If you have cheese, feel free to grate a little bit on top of this tart. A sharp cheese will add a punch of flavor.