Don’t get me wrong, I like summer. I love summer. There is so much to love about summer, not least of which is the amazing bounty of fresh produce. In our own garden we have planted lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and various herbs. We also appear to have a few volunteer pumpkin plants, probably from seeds that were in our compost. Our homegrown veggies won’t be ready for quite some time, but local Farmer’s Markets start as early as next week and I can hardly wait. I am a bit of Farmer’s Market whore, keeping my eye on the schedule of the towns around mine, hopping from one to the other. In the summer, I try to get as much of our fresh produce from the little markets as possible.
This recipe is one that caught my eye as the perfect vehicle for fresh summer veggies. It’s in a funny little cookbook, given to us by my parents-in-law, called The Gourmet Potluck. I almost forgot I had it until my mother was here, and we both began browsing my cookbook library. Given that the original contained three cups of cubed bread, it needed a little overhaul to be suitable for this low carber’s consumption. In the end, I modified it quite a bit. I had no fresh peppers, having used them all up earlier in the week. Thank goodness for a jar of Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Peppers in the pantry. The summer squash at the grocery store didn’t look so hot, so I skipped that altogether. I added some minced garlic, because what’s an egg dish without garlic? And since I was forgoing the bread cubes, I decided to use the cream cheese, which was supposed to simply be cubed, as a way to thicken the egg mixture. I beat it in, almost like I would with a cheesecake.
The Results: The lack of bread obviously really changed things, because I found I had to bake the torta much longer, almost double the time, to make it set. But it really turned out beautifully. A high-sided, vegetable-filled cake, almost, dense and filling and flavourful. It has so many veggies in it, you don’t need a side salad or any such thing. I found one large slice enough for my whole dinner, but you could pair it with bread for a bigger meal.
It really would be a great potluck dish, as you can make it ahead of time and either warm it just prior to eating or eat it cold. We ate ours room temperature and I think it was perfect that way. I can imagine any number of variations, with different vegetables and cheese. Perhaps a spring vegetable torta with asparagus and gruyere? It’s a keeper of a recipe, for certain.
Summer Vegetable Torta
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 red peppers, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
OR
1 12 oz jar marinated red peppers,
dreained and cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
8 oz cream cheese, softened
6 large eggs
1/4 cup half and half or heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
Preheat oven to 350F and brush bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with oil. Line bottom with parchment and brush parchment with oil. Wrap outside of pan with aluminum foil.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh peppers, if using. Saute until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs until combined (it’s okay if it’s a little lumpy). Beat in cream or half and half. Stir in garlic, basil, salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon to drain off liquid, add sauteed vegetables to egg mixture, then add drained marinated peppers, if using. Add shredded cheese. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine.
Spread mixture in prepared pan and set pan on baking sheet. Bake for 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours or until top is puffy and golden brown and the center no longer jiggles when shaken. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in pan, then run a sharp knife around edges of torta to loosen. Gently remove pan sides. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.
Serves 8 (large slices). Each serving has 8.25g of carbs and 1.5g of fiber.
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CHEESE SUBS? I have everything except the cheese. I have plenty of sharp cheddar. Can you explain how you might use gruyere with asparagus instead of swiss? I never really know how to pair ingredients.
SPINACH? Also I want to add spinach. Should I blanche it and add it to the eggs or just add it raw to the bake.
What a terrific recipe! Just made this for a brunch with five people and we gobbled it all up. I used about 2 tbs of basil and Italian blend cheese (we aren’t Swiss cheese fans). This one is a keeper!
Thanks for creating this winner!
This is DELICIOUS!!!!! Everyone loved it, even those not doing low carb loved it!
I wonder if a water bath would shorten the time in the oven. You have created a beautiful vegetable cheesecake. I would recommend wrapping the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil before you put the metal sides of the pan on; it helps keep out the water. Wrap with heavy aluminum foil on the outside to prevent water from seeping in. The water bath will provide gentle heat for the vegetable cheesecake.
Tested, tried and terrific. Such a versatile recipe and beautiful presentation. Can also use square glass pan. Thank you for sharing.
I followed the recipe exactly as written, baked
it for 1 3/4 hrs at 350. It was golden,
edges slightly browned & after about 15 min of
cooling ran a knife around the edge. I have not
tasted it yet, as I’m taking it to a party, but
it sure looks beautiful!! I think it will make
for yummy leftovers for breakfast or lunch tomorrow.
This is so beautiful. I know it’s an ancient post, but I have a question. I’ve never made a torta, but since it usually has bread in it (as you say) how do you think it would work with some low-carb bread in it. I just made your almond bread ( the one associated with your French Toast recipe) and I’m thinking that might not be so bad to incorporate into this.
BTW, I was just going through some old low carb recipes in FoodGawker, and I was able to spot your recipes almost every time because your food arranging and photography is so high quality and distinctive.
Hi Marcia, I think some low carb bread would be fine, but it will certainly change the texture and possibly the baking time. Since I haven’t tried it myself, I can’t say exactly how. Just keep a close eye on it in the oven. And thank you for the compliment on the photography! 🙂
Too much basil! I loove basil, but I’d only use 1-2 TBS. Also I cooked it for exactly 1.5 hours, and when I opened the oven, the top was burnt, hard, and brown. The inside was still soft and moist, though. It tasted good overall, just needs a little adjusting.
Am I the only one that doesn’t understand the length of time to cook this. Sounds like a very delicious dish and it is so pretty. I would love to try it. Just need to be clear on the time it takes to bake.
I will write it out in text, in case the numbers look weird on the recipe….that’s one and a half to one and three-quarter hours to bake. Anywhere in that vicinity, depending on the temperature of your oven. Hope that helps!
Yes it does. Thanks vey much!
This does look delicious, but how much fat and how many calories? Cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs, etc. etc. Wow, may be low in carbs, but not calories! I will try anyway when I have company. Would love to know calories, tho. Thanks!
Love this! It’s so very good and it’s beautiful.
made this today – a lot of work, but a huge hit! thanks!
I made this over the summer and it was amazing. I am now about to make it a second and third time (today for the family and next weekend for a church potluck). I will try to experiment a little with different vegetables and see how that works since my wife isn't very keen on zucchini. Thanks for this recipe!
I made this last night, my husband and I absolutely LOVED it! Such an elegant spin on crustless quiche. I will definitely be remaking this with different vegetables.
Looks delicious! I wish I saw this last week! It would have gone well with the rose and white wines I shared with friends on Saturday!
This is just stunning! I love the colors and the way the veggies are throughout. Also a way to clear out the produce bins. Definitely a keeper!
Wow, this is really beautiful! I love that you used a springform pan for this — great idea. The perfect way to showcase all the delicious goodies inside.
Oh my gosh, that's just packed with so many good things-it looks incredible!
This torta looks really really beautiful! Very summer-like with all those fresh and pretty colors. You can be sure I'll try this recipe 🙂
I am so glad I stumbled across your blog and came across this recipe. It looks beautiful and with all the lovely summer vegetables around, I am so looking forward to making this…
-Shilpa