Winter Vegetable Buckwheat Crostata with Cheddar & Honey

This unique winter vegetable buckwheat crostata is such an exciting, flavorful side dish. It’s made with a homemade buckwheat dough that’s rich and nutty. The filling is a mixture of fennel, leeks, red chard, and white cheddar cheese. Baked until crisp and flaky, with a soft, melted cheddar and vegetable center. Drizzled with a lemon sesame honey mixture that gives the crostata a finishing pop of sweet brightness.

A crostata is essentially a rustic, flat tart (or pie) with a flaky, golden crust and a cooked filling. Crostata is the Italian word for the dish, while galette is the French. They’re basically the same thing, both with endless filling possibilities.

Over the years, I’ve made many versions, both sweet (honey strawberry galette) and savory (parmesan & caramelized onion crostata). What I love about savory versions is that they’re a really filling side dish that can provide both a starch element and a vegetable element to a meal.

A dinner menu with some sort of roast, this winter vegetable buckwheat crostata, and then maybe just a simple side salad sounds like the perfect combination.

winter vegetable buckwheat crostata – the details

You’ll start by making the buckwheat dough. It’s an easy, fool-proof process since we’re using the food processor to combine everything together. A little bit of buckwheat flour and fresh oregano give this dough a unique touch. Buckwheat is incredibly flavorful, with a beautiful rich nuttiness.

While the dough chills (it’s important to be super cold when it hits the hot oven for maximum flakiness), you can saute the vegetables. I’ve used a mix of sweet fennel, buttery leeks, and slightly bitter red chard. Each vegetable gets cooked individually in hot olive oil just until softened, slightly caramelized, or wilted.

You’ll assemble the crostata by rolling out the dough and then layering on the vegetables along with shredded white cheddar cheese for a little sharp richness. It may seem like a lot of filling, but that’s exactly what we want…a thick bite of cheesy vegetables with a thin layer of bottom crust.

After the crostata bakes, it comes out crisp around the edges with a melted cheesy layer over top. Let it sit for just a couple of minutes before cutting it into slices. The finishing touch is a drizzle of honey that’s been mixed with lemon juice, sesame seeds, and more fresh oregano.

The flavor combination of buckwheat, cheddar, honey, and oregano is absolutely fantastic.

Winter Vegetable Buckwheat Crostata with Cheddar & Honey

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a crostata made with homemade buckwheat dough, filled with white cheddar, fennel, leeks, and red chard, and drizzled with lemon sesame honey

servings: 6-8

Ingredients

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Buckwheat Dough

• 6 oz all-purpose flour
• 2 oz buckwheat flour
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ lb salted butter, cold + cubed
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp cold water

Crostata

• olive oil
• kosher salt
• 1 fennel bulb, cored + thinly sliced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch red chard, stemmed + roughly chopped (approximately 6 cups chopped)
• 1 lemon 
• 6 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
• flaky sea salt

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Instructions

Buckwheat Dough

1. Combine the flours and salt in a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add the cold, cubed butter and oregano. Pulse until coarse crumbs are formed. 
2. With the processor running, drizzle in the water. Continue to mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. 
3. Immediately gather the dough and form it into an even, flat disk. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes (at this point, the dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days). 

Crostata

1. Heat a 12” skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelized, stirring often. Transfer the fennel to a plate. 
2. Add a little more olive oil to the skillet. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 2 minutes. Transfer the leeks to the plate. Add a little more olive oil again. Add the chard and a pinch of salt. Squeeze in the juice of half of the lemon. Cook for just 30 seconds or until wilted. Turn off the heat. 
3. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Once the dough has finished chilling, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to slightly soften. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle more flour over top. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out (aim for a 12” circle). Carefully transfer the dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. 
4. Distribute half of the cheddar over the dough, leaving a 1” edge. Continue to layer the chard, fennel, leeks, and remaining cheddar on top. Fold the dough over the vegetables around the edges, pressing any cracks together as needed. Brush the egg onto the edges. Sprinkle the edges with 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds. 
5. Bake the crostata for about 35 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and golden. Meanwhile, add the honey, oregano, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds to a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine. 
6. Cut the crostata into 6-8 slices. Serve with a drizzle of the honey mixture and a pinch of flaky sea salt over top.