Goatcheesetart_1For the first course of our Old Home + Fresh Wine Stormhoek wine dinner, my mother in law, known as MIL, cooked up a delicious, flavorful goat cheese tart to pair with Stormhoek’s equally delicous 2005 Sauvignon Blanc.

First, the recipe for the tart:

MIL’s Goat Cheese Tart

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board

Kosher salt
13 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided

3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
3/4 cup chopped shallots (3 to 4
shallots)
10 1/2 ounces garlic-and-herb soft goat cheese
(recommended: Montrachet}
1 cup heavy cream
3 extra-large
eggs
1/4 cup chopped basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the
crust, put the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor
fitted with the steel blade. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter
into large dice, add to the bowl, and pulse until the butter is the size of
peas. With the machine running, add the ice water all at once and process until
the dough becomes crumbly. Don’t overprocess. Dump the dough out on a floured
board, gather it loosely into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate
for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a
9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off
the excess dough. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil and fit it, butter
side down, into the tart pan. Fill the foil with rice or beans. Bake for 20
minutes. Remove the beans and foil from the tart shell, prick the bottom all
over with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the
remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and saute the shallots over low
heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the
food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, 1/4
teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.
Scatter the cooked
shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over
the shallots to fill the shell (if the shell has shrunk, there may be leftover
filling). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the
top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room
temperature.

Next, the wine…which, of the four Stormhoek wines I served with dinner, was probably my second favorite. The wine’s balance was impressive…medium-light body, crisp but not overpowering acidity and flavors of ripe citrus with just a little herbal quality. I’ve been told that the wine will retail for around $10 and at that price it’s really a great value. I’d definitely drink it again…especially with this goat cheese tart.