Imagelicious | Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

May 06, 2008

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

These tarts are extremely easy to make using store-bought puff pastry. You just need to remember to defrost it overnight or during the day. For me, it's the most difficult part of the recipe - remembering to take out the pastry out of the freezer. This dish is perfect for left over tomatoes and cheese.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

recipe adapted from Fresh by Anna Olson

Grape tomatoes, halved - 1 1/2 cups
Red onion, finely diced- 1 1/2 tablespoons
Minced garlic - 1/2 teaspoon
Extra virgin olive oil - 1 1/2 tablespoons
Balsamic vinegar - 1 tablespoon
Cilantro, chopped - 2 tablespoons
salt and pepper
Frozen puff pastry - 1 sheet OR ½ pkg block puff pastry
1 x egg whisked with 2 tbsp cold water for brushing
Fresh goat cheese - 30 g

- Toss tomatoes with red onion, garlic, olive oil and vinegar and let sit, covered, for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours in the fridge).

- Strain tomato mixture, saving juices.

- Bring reserved juices up to a simmer and reduce to just 1 to 2 tbsp, then pour over tomatoes and toss (this concentrates the flavours).

- Stir in cilantro and season to taste.
- Preheat oven to 375 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface (or if using a block, roll out to a square 8-x-8-inches and ¼-inch thick).

- Cut puff pastry into 4 squares.

- Cut an L-shape on opposite corners of each square (creating a frame-like shape).

- Lift one side of the cut and place it on the opposite side, and repeat with the other side (this creates a diamond-shaped shell that holds in the tomato filling).

- Place on prepared baking tray.

- Spoon tomato filling into each tart shell and brush edges of pastry with egg mixture.

- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until pastry is a rich golden brown colour.

- Crumble goat cheese over tarts and return to oven for 5 minutes.