Sweet Pepper Tart w/Pesto

1 lb sweet peppers

olive oil

1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 c white wine or vermouth

pesto

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 c cream or half and half

small handful oil cured black olives, pitted and chopped roughly

4-5 oz provolone, grated

Make the crust: mix the flour and a half teaspoon salt together in a bowl. Cut the cold butter and veggie shortening into small pieces and drop them into the flour. Mix with your fingers, quickly, until the butter is incorporated. Pour in the ice water and continue to mix until the dough comes together. Shape into a flattened disc and chill, covered, for about an hour.

Roll the dough out into a thin circle large enough to fit a 9 inch tart pan. Fit the dough into it and trim the edges. Freeze the crust until basically frozen. Heat the oven to 425 while the crust freezes. Put the crust into the hot oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the crust sets. Put aside and make the tart filling.

Halve the peppers and pull out the cores and seeds. Slice them thinly. Saute them in plenty of olive oil and with the onion, garlic and some salt. Saute them briskly, but only for a minute or two, then add the wine. Cover and stew over low heat until the peppers are soft and sweet. Remove from heat.

Make the custard by mixing the eggs, yolks, half and half together. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Paint the bottom of the tart crust with some pesto. Add half the provolone, then add the pepper/onion mixture. Sprinkle the olives over the peppers, then finish with the remaining provolone. Pour the custard over the top and bake at 400 until the top is colored, about 30-40 minutes. Allow to rest before serving.

recipe from Chef Jonathan in the Ladybug Postcard, the newsletter for Mariquita Farm's CSA