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It’s no coincidence that in every clove is l-o-v-e

The Columbian
Published: January 5, 2015, 4:00pm

Last year, at a book party in Charleston, S.C., I heard a sad question. A woman pulled me aside to ask whether any of my dishes on the buffet table included garlic, onions, scallions or leeks. It was sad because, unlike me, she hates those ingredients — or, more accurately, they don’t like her so much. She was allergic to all of them: every last member of the allium family. And, unfortunately, I couldn’t think of a single thing on the table that didn’t include one or more of them in some form.

While I think of myself as fairly imaginative in the kitchen, the thought of leaving one of my favorite families of vegetables -—the aromatic foundation of so many dishes — out of everything I cook left me dumbfounded.

Honestly, I tend to go to the other extreme, especially when it comes to my favorite allium, garlic. I’ve come a long way from my college days, when I once put so much raw garlic in a potato salad at a picnic that my friends and I reeked of the “stinking rose” — from our very pores — for days. Now, I save the raw stuff mostly for vinaigrettes and love frying slivers for rice dishes, cooking cloves in vegetable broth for soup, and roasting whole heads for spreading on bread.

And every now and then, I want to make something that showcases garlic in a new way, or at least a way new to me. In 2011, it was the caramelized garlic tart from “Plenty” by Yotam Ottolenghi, but that’s a pretty rich dish (involving puff pastry, eggs and a grip of cheese). Special-occasion territory, indeed.

In their new book “The Art of Eating Well,” Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley offer a lighter take on the idea, adding roasted butternut squash to the mix, dialing down some of that cheese and using an almond crust that happens to be gluten-free.

If you’re allergic to alliums, obviously this isn’t the recipe for you. For me, it’s heaven. I doubled the amount of squash for even more flavor and color (particularly evident once you cut a gorgeous slice), but my best contribution to the recipe might be using the fattest garlic cloves I could find (but not elephant garlic, a variant whose flavor I find too mild). They’re slightly sweet-tart, having been lightly poached and then glazed in butter, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar, and they nestle into the top of the custard, browning a little more as the tart bakes.

They’re the crowning touch, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Caramelized Garlic and Butternut Squash Tart With Almond Crust

8 to 12 servings (makes one 9-inch tart)

You’ll need a deep, 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Serve with a crisp salad. The finished tart can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Adapted from “The Art of Eating Well,” by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley (PowerHouse Books, 2014).

o For the crust:

2½ cups raw almonds

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan

2 large eggs

o For the filling:

1 small butternut squash (about 1½ pounds), halved and seeded

Cloves from 3 heads garlic, peeled

½ cup water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 large eggs

7 tablespoons plain, whole-milk yogurt (may substitute low-fat)

½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup soft goat cheese (2½ ounces)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the almonds, salt and baking soda in a food processor; pulse until the almonds are finely ground. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and the eggs; pulse until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to the countertop, and briefly knead to bring it together.

Use a little butter to lightly grease the tart pan, then press in the almond mixture. Bake until the crust is set and firm but not browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

Place the squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, cut side up (on the bottom rack, in with the crust), until fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool.

Combine the garlic and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the water starts to bubble, reduce the heat so the water is barely bubbling. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until it is almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the butter; increase the heat to medium-high and cook for a few minutes, swirling the pan frequently, until the water has evaporated and the garlic starts to brown.

Add the maple syrup and vinegar; cook for about 10 minutes, continuing to swirl the pan, until the cloves are coated in a dark glaze.

When the squash halves have cooled, peel them and discard the skins. Chop the flesh into ½-inch pieces. Measure out 2 cups of squash and arrange it in the bottom of the tart shell. (Save any remaining squash for another use.)

Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Pour over the squash in the tart shell.

Pinch off pieces of goat cheese and scatter them over the tart. Arrange the caramelized garlic cloves in the filling, then drizzle the glaze from the pan over them. Sprinkle the sage evenly on top.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake the tart until the custard is set all over and the top is lightly browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Remove the tart from the pan by carefully setting it on a sturdy glass or a can, then gently dislodging the pan’s outer ring.

Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.

Per serving (based on 12): 290 calories, 12 g protein, 13 g carbohydrates, 23 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 270 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugar

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