I don’t know why I have such a fascination with savory tarts, except for the fact that they are just bloody delicious. After all, what do you see in the list of ingredients below that doesn’t reach right off the page (or your screen to be more precise) and grab you by your taste buds? Nothing, right??

Well for me this tart is the perfect combination of flakey (the crust), savory (the rosemary infused butternut squash purée), cheesy (the sharp flavored and salty blue cheese) and crunchy (the toasted walnuts).

I have actually been trying to re-create this dish since we enjoyed its culinary prototype at la medusa restaurant in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood several years ago. And I know any resemblance to my recipe and my fading memory of the “real” thing is purely unadulterated sheer good luck. Regardless, this is still a pretty darned good tart in its own right!

So next time you need a wonderful first course nibble or a bite size piece of heaven to serve as an appetizer, give this recipe a try. And even if by some stroke of unfortunate fate you or your family aren’t butternut squash lovers, the other ingredients will redeem the squash so beautifully that you and yours will never again cast aspersion on this lowly bit of vegetative matter. In fact, you will all be left to wonder why you hadn’t recognized butternut squash as one of God’s perfect foods from the onset. (I have witnessed this revelation with my own eyes, so I know of what I speak.) So may Betty Crocker, the spirit of Julia Child, and the precocious Ratatouille be with you on your journey to enlightenment.

• 2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1½ tsp. sugar
• slightly rounded ¼ tsp. baking powder
• scant ½ c. extra virgin olive oil
• 6 T. milk
• 1 T. butter
• 1 lg. shallot, chopped or ¼ c. finely minced onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 c. puréed fresh butternut squash (I peel the squash, cut it into small cubes, steam it until tender, and process it in my food processor)
• tiny pinch ground nutmeg
• fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp. very finely minced fresh rosemary
• 6-8-oz. crumbled blue cheese (depending on much you like blue cheese)
• 1 c. chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

Whisk together the flour, the 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and milk in another bowl, then pour over the dry ingredients. Stir with a table knife until the dough is evenly moistened and no loose flour remains. Using your fingers, press the crust into a 9×13-inch glass baking dish, beginning with the bottom; then press a tiny bit up the sides of the pan. (Make sure there are no holes or cracks in the crust.) Bake for 12 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Remove crust from oven and increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a medium sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the shallots for about 2 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an addition minute. Mix in the squash, nutmeg, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and rosemary. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

When ready to bake, spread the butternut squash mixture evenly over the partially baked crust. Add the crumbled blue cheese, but not the walnuts. (You are going to add the walnuts after the tart has finished baking.)

Bake the tart in the pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 13-15 minutes or until the crust is a lovely light golden brown. Remove from the oven and scatter the walnut pieces over the top. Taking a table fork, gently press the walnut pieces into the cheese. Place pan on a rack to cool. When ready to serve, cut into desired sized pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.