Argentinian Style Tarta de Verduras

Sharing is caring!

Let your dinner feel cozy and vibrant with Argentinian style Tarta de Verduras.  Where every bite celebrates simple ingredients and good company.

 

I honestly don’t know how this came about.  I mean, I think I did a search for meatless meals on Pinteresting. Then just ran rampant.  For the most part, I kept getting Tarta Pascualina in my search results.  While that looks yummy, whole, real eggs, aren’t in our diet.  And I think it would lose something in the translation if we went to egg substitutes.

 

Then, about 4 pages into the search results, I stumbled on verduras…  I wandered aimlessly around those search results. I got the gist of the dish.  I didn’t want a pie crust.  Too fattening.   I didn’t want a pastry crust at all.  No puff pastry, no pie crust, no empanada style dough.  Nope.  Phyllo.  It’s my go to for a nice crispy crust that doesn’t have a ton of fat in it.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE phyllo.  S, not so much.  *sigh*

 

 

So, what type of veggies?  For some I was hung up on spinach.  Espinaca.  Some words are just prettier in other languages.  Espinaca sounds much better than spinach.  Aubergine MUCH better than eggplant.  Yes.  I’m still stuck on that one.  I don’t think I want to call it an eggplant any more.  Maybe more people will eat it if we all called it aubergine.  What do y’all think?  Yes?  No?

 

Anyway.

 

I sautéed the leeks and mushrooms the day before.  Something about simmering leeks and shrooms on Monday night that just didn’t appeal to me.  I want something quick and easy to throw together because I’m usually tired; it’s Monday for goodness sakes!

 

 

Interesting facts about Argentina:

 

• Argentina is one of those countries which started broadcasting services. It was in the year 1920 that they made the first radio broadcast in this country.
• A major export of Argentina is wine. – AND BOY is it good!!  🙂
• Argentina produces a lot of honey, soybeans, sunflower seeds, maize and wheat.
• The tango originated in the slaughterhouse district of Buenos Aires at the end of the nineteenth century.
• Argentina is the first country to adopt fingerprinting as a method of identification. In 1925, the gruesome stabiing of two children rocked the small Argentinian town of Necochea. With no witnesses to the crime, local police were unable to tie the gory crime to any particular suspect. Utilizing a bloody fingerprint left on a bedpost, Detective Eduardo Alvarez was able to peg the murders on the children’s mother, who quickly confessed to the crime.
• The oldest known dinosaur species are traced to Argentina and Brazil, making both countries prime destinations for paleontologists.
• Argentine cuisine blends Mediterranean influences (such as those created by Italian and Spanish populations) within the wide scope of livestock and agricultural products that are abundant in the country.
• Grilled meat from the asado (barbecue) is a staple, with steak and beef ribs especially common.
• Breaded and fried meats — milanesas — are used as snacks, in sandwiches, or eaten warm with mashed potatoes — purée.
• A sweet paste, dulce de leche is another treasured national food, used to fill cakes and pancakes, spread over toasted bread for breakfast, or served with ice cream.

 

 

There are many different regions of cuisine in Argetina.  I hope that you will research and try to make your own Argentinian feasts.

• Central region and las Pampas
• Northwest and Cuyo
• Mesopotamia
• Patagonia