I must admit I have a huge fascination for baking tarts. Well not that I really bake the pastry but I love assembling the various flavors to mix and match for the tart.
I always have good quality store brought puff pastry at home and it has been my blessing more often than not. So when we had to make an Appetizer for this month's INA Friday's event (a group that makes Ina Garten's recipes every month). I just knew I had to bake a tart.
The tart uses Goats cheese which I am not really a fan of. I hate the typical smell that Goats cheese so I was a little unsure of whether everyone will like it or not. However the Parmesan that we also added worked really well somehow offsetting the weird taste of the Goats cheese and I had some really happy faces by the end of the meal.
Ina's original recipe has the tarts shaped into circles, however lazy person that I am I have just cut the pastry into Squares. I also skipped the White Wine and used White Wine vinegar instead, but you can use wine if cooking these in the evening. I also reduced the quantity of Cheese as my pastry was Butter pastry and I was already feeling guilty about the carb overload.
The best thing about these tarts are the fact that you can make the filling a day or 2 in advance and just assemble them before your guests arrive. They will come home to some delicious goodness and you ofcourse will be the desi version of Ina Garten who can whip up some amazing food.
Recipe (Makes 8 large tart squares, cooking time 30 - 40 minutes)
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted Olive oil 4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions) 3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons dry white Wine or White wine Vinegar or Plain Vinegar 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler 2 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (I just used 120 G plain Goats Cheese since I couldn't find the Garlic one) 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices 2 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
Directions
1) Unfold the sheets of puff Pastry on a lightly floured surface and let it thaw before you cut each Pastry into 4 large squares. Place the pastry squares on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
2) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
3) Heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 15 minutes stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet.
4) Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine or vinegar, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
5) Remove the pastry sheet from the fridge and place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each sheet staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place 2 slices of tomato in the centre of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
6) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.