Blue Cheese Walnut Tart

Note from Cheri: This innovative recipe comes to us from Zinfandel, a wonderful Chicago restaurant. Chef Susan Goss specializes in authentic American regional cuisine and the restaurant's menu changes quarterly to reflect the country's culinary melting pot. Follow this link to read Lee Maloney's profile of this fabulous restaurant and the husband and wife team behind it. One of the best things about this rich appetizer is that the parts -- tart shell and filling-- can be made a day in advance, then baked just before serving. The tart is equally at home as an appetizer or, paired with the right dessert wine, the final course of an elegant meal.

1 pre-baked 9" tart shell (follow this link if you need a pastry dough recipe) 1/2 C chopped chives 1/2 C chopped English walnuts, toasted 5 large eggs 1 1/2 C heavy cream 3/4 lb. blue cheese

Makes 10 Servings Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Scatter chives and toasted walnuts over bottom of pre-baked tart shell. Place shell on baking sheet and set aside. Place eggs in bowl of an electric mixer (you can also use a food processor or whisk by hand), and beat with paddle until completely mixed. Add cream and mix until smooth. Crumble blue cheese into cream mixture and mix until relatively smooth with no large lumps of cheese. Pour custard evenly into the tart shell, filling it to the top. Distribute any lumps of cheese, walnuts and chives evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned and puffed. Tart will collapse and firm as it cools. Serve at room temperature as an appetizer or dessert course.