MUSHROOM + POBLANO TART IN CORNMEAL CRUST
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 12:23PM 
Sometimes I make things that sound good to me, and though I'm not sure they appeal to the masses, I go forth with the idea. I put hummus on my eggs, spread greek yogurt on my toast and am aware these habits aren't normal. Like last weeks quesadilla, it raised a few eyebrows, but some of you made it and liked it! Thanks for not making me feel nuts. This recipe is a culmination of inspiration - a crust from Ancient Grains for Modern Meals and a twist on a frittata I saw in Bon Appetite this past month. It's sort of like frittata meets mexican quiche meets breakfast casserole... or something. All to say, this versatile tart could easily pass for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Also, I wanted to direct you over to the Saveur site, where we were nominated for 2011 Best Cooking Blog! I am beyond flattered to be included amongst all that talented company, as each of them are bloggers I have long admired. You do have to register to vote, but they will not send you a bunch of spam. Thanks to those of you who believe I deserved to be there in the first place :) 
MUSHROOM + POBLANO TART
Inspired by Bon Appetit May 2011 and Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck
The crust does not rise, so adjust the thickness as you prefer. Next time I may make it in an 8'' square and bulk up the filling amounts a bit. Maria did not suggest cooking it before adding filling, but mine seemed pretty moist and I made a completely different filling than her recipe, so I found this step necessary. Just keep an eye on it in the oven, it doesn't need to fully firm up, but you don't want it smushy. The crust can be made a day in advance to save time.
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
1 Cup Water
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
3/4 Cup Polenta or Corn Grits
1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
Fresh Ground Pepper
Filling
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cups Thinly Sliced Mushrooms (I used Crimini but Button will work as well)
1 Small Poblano Pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced thin
5 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk (Whole or 2%)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese, plus more for garnish
Chopped Cilantro
Tapatio or Hot Sauce of choice
1. Bring the broth, water and salt to a boil. Slowly pour in the polenta and continue to stir. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir every two minutes to prevent the bottom from burning. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, another 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, egg and lots of fresh ground pepper. It should be thick. Allow it to settle another 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 9'' pie plate. Transfer the polenta to the pie plate and using wet fingers, press to form a crust in an even layer on the bottom and up the sides. If you would like a thinner crust, set some of the polenta aside. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the tart.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and poblanos and saute for 10 minutes until both are softened and the moisture has been absorbed. Turn off the heat.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cumin and black pepper together until well combined. Stir in the scallions and the vegetables. Add the egg mixture into the cornmeal crust, sprinkle the feta cheese on top and bake another 20 minutes until the center is just set.
Let it rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with crumbled feta, chopped cilantro and hot sauce on the side.


Reader Comments (72)
Ooh. I bet the texture of this was divine. It's bookmarked!
How perfect for Cinco de Mayo! I've been using a lot of cornmeal in my cooking and baking lately ever since I read it's a great source of iron. And poblanos are the closest thing to heaven, if you ask me :)
Voted for you! :D
Love the idea of using polenta as a base for a crust. And congrats on the nom, Sara. So excited for you!
The perfect accompaniment for a Cinco de Mayo margarita :) Well done on the nom, much deserved!
Looks amazing! I love your recipe inspirations :)
I love the idea of this crust. Works for me! Nice Nomination!!!!
This looks delicious! I love how the scallions give it a pop of colour! Congrats on being nominated! :)
- Brittany
Yummy, this looks great; perfect for Cinco De Mayo celebrations!
This sounds delicious! And an excellent idea for crust--especially for those of us who cook gluten-free. I saw Sprouted Kitchen on Saveur a couple ago and of course voted for you. Best of luck!
Congrats again for the nomination Sara, well deserved! I'm really intrigued by this recipe and I'd love to try poblano! I can't wait to try that crust, this tart sounds so tasty! x
I totally eat Greek yogurt on my toast at breakfast all the time! I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one. :) Congrats on the nomination - well deserved, I'd say. And, the tart looks lovely. I do love a polenta crust.
:) this looks so yummy! and the strawberry goat cheese idea was phenomenal! i used cheddar and feta, it was delicious!
This looks great! Polenta and poblano are a perfect combination. And congratulations!!
oh this looks great!
I love poblanos and mushrooms together and seeing polenta used in non-traditional ways such as this. Congrats as well on the nomination! I was so excited when I saw your blog on the nominee list. The award is well deserved :)
Love the cornmeal crust idea, I'll have to try it the next time I make a quiche. And congrats on the nomination!
I looooove greek yogurt on my toast!!! keep making what sounds good to you! this particular recipe looks lovely, and, as you said, versatile to boot.
I have to admit that I thought your strawberry quesadilla last month was a bit strange, but I admired you for posting it. Then after reading the whole post, I couldn't stop thinking about it. That's what it's all about anyway - making people think. No one wants to read a blog about meatloaf or boring pasta dishes. Love your blog and you've got my vote on Saveur!
I share your weird habits... though mine are slightly different. I love ketchup with my mac and cheese... and i have a soft spot for rice loaded with cheddar cheese.
This dish looks right up my alley. Just fantastic!
And a big congratulations on the Saveur nomination. Woo hoo!
The nomination is more than deserved. Thanks for this little nugget of distraction from my busy day :) I'm not a pepper girl, but this could make a believer out of me. Oh, and cheers to eggs and hummus any day. Normal is overrated.
This looks like divinity! I cannot wait to try my hand at this recipe! I love your original cuisine ideas! Congrats on the nomination!!
I love that you follow your stomach and not what others may perceive as "normal" when it comes to cooking. congrats again on your nomination -- you two deserve it!
Cornmeal, polenta and mushrooms are a divine combo. I prefer to roast my poblanos first to give them extra depth (although I'm eating mine as roasted green chile cheese grits).Congrats for the Saveur nomination. You are a gem.
yummm this looks great! I have to try it
Looks absolutely phenomenal! Yum!
I have no problem believing this was anything but supremely delicious. And gorgeous too! HUGE congrats to you two on your nomination. Well deserved. You know I am a huge fan.
That looks delicious! And pretty at the same time. I like certain colourcombinations in my food :) I just recently found your blog and love it. Very inspiring.
I just found your blog via twitter and I'm so happy. Your photos, your recipes and the way you write - just beautiful.
this looks lovely -- and gluten free, too! that's pretty amazing.
Voted! :)
congrats on the nom'!
Scrumptious! Makes my mouth water!
This looks delicious! These inspirations are the best. Keep going with your ideas Sara. The "masses" could always use new variety in their lives and It keeps us trying different things! :) Heading over to Saveur! Congrats!!
I find your recipes inspiring and innovative. And this! This. I have longed for a wheatless crust but never really taken the time to think about how that might be made. Here it is.
Drool!
And the recipe is gluten-free, too. Cannot wait to give this a try.
-E
breath-taking photos, sara! as per usual....
Oooh, this is lovely! Like a quiche, but better! :)
Love the cornmeal crust! Can't wait to try it out.
I tried your quesadillas and LOVED IT!!! Please, keep doing whatever appeals to you, it is inspiring :)
This sounds fantastic - and you are not strange. I like pumpkin seed butter and chopped tomatoes on seedy toast for breakfast and that's not normal, but who cares! Probably can't get fresh poblanos here in Scotland so is dried okay or is it too 'unsubtle'?
[...] Mushroom and Poblano Tart - Just a beautiful post and dish. While the filling sounds wonderful, I was completely sold at cornmeal crust. What a great idea! (@ Sprouted Kitchen) [...]
Yum! This sounds absolutely delicious! The cornmeal crust alone is worth it to make!
This crust looks awesome! The poblano and mushroom filling looks yummy, but I bet this crust would be good withy a whole bunch of different fillings. I'm imagining a fresh corn and goat cheese filling...
Oh my goodness, making this ASAP.
Oh my goodness, making this ASAP. What a fantastic update on the traditional quiche!
Love this and your photos are making me hungry! Cheers!
I adore the idea of a polenta crust for a tart. It sounds heavenly! And the poblano filling seems like just the thing to finish it off right.
just made this for mothers day dinner! we made a deep pie and made 1.5x the recipe...took quite a bit longer to bake but it was amazing and very hearty for a vegetarian main entree. yummy!
Yum! I will definitely make this. I've been reading your blog for the past few weeks and I'm really enjoying it - and the photos. Do you have any recipes for split green pea soup? Preferably without the ham. I'm not a vegetarian - I just don't eat a lot of meat. Thanks very much.
hummus and eggs ... sounds delicious to me! I am also a bit surprised that I have not thought or tried that before. I love hummus and eggs, and I put both of them on odd things. Needless to say, I love recipes that explore new flavor combinations because they help me develop my taste buds and cooking style.
Variety is the spice of life, right? :)