This is a lovely warm tart for the chilly days of winter and early spring. Leeks go out of season in late March or early April, so if you miss it you should wait until October or November for your best shot.

• 8 sheets fresh or frozen phyllo pastry sheets
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 leeks, thinly sliced crosswise
• ½ pound of Gruyère or Emmenthaler cheese, grated
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk
• 1 ¼ cups half and half
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon white pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 baking dish – round is pretty, but you can use a square pan, too. Melt 1 stick of butter. Brush the first sheet of phyllo with butter, fold it in half and press it into the bottom of the dish. Brush the second sheet of phyllo with butter, fold it, and press it into the dish at right angles to the previous layer. Repeat with remaining sheets.

To make the filling, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and sauté leeks until they are golden brown – about five minutes. Spread the leeks over the pastry and top with grated cheeses. Whisk the eggs, milk, half and half, salt, nutmeg and pepper together, and pour over leeks and cheeses. Roll the excess pastry into a rim around the top of the leeks.

Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour, or until the eggs are firmly set. Cool for about 30 minutes, then cut and serve warm.