Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

While flipping through the channels the other day, I noticed that the Barefoot Contessa was making tomato and goat cheese tarts on the Food Network. Intriguing. I set my DVR to record it and see how involved it was. Keep in mind, I have a 10 month old. Didn't look very involved at all, I thought....as I kept eyeing the tomatoes my dad grew that were sitting on my counter. Fresh tomatoes, goat cheese...how can you go wrong?

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

Ingredients:

1 package puff pastry, defrosted
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
3 large garlic cloves, I used the chopped variety
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
ground thyme, to taste
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Method (I'll just copy and paste from The Food Network's Recipe):

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center 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.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.


Tarts are assembled and ready to be baked!


Now baked to a gorgeous golden brown.


Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

The Verdict: Holy mother!! I'm going to say something in all seriousness now....this is honestly one of the most delicious things I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Not many things deserve that honored ranking but this is definitely one of them. It's fabulous and so easy to make!! I would make sure to always use fresh, homegrown tomatoes because they just always taste better than the store-bought junk and when you're buying things like goat cheese and wedges of parmesan, you want it to turn out great. You've got to try this...and you might want to keep a knife handy to stab anyone who tries to steal your tart because it's THAT GOOD!

Asparagus and Tomato Tart

As previously stated, asparagus is the most-loved veggie in our home. We love our normal way of cooking it, but sometimes you get tired of having stuff the same all the time. The other day I saw an episode of Sandra Lee's Money Saving Meals on the Food Network, and one of the dishes she cooked was Asparagus and Tomato Tart. She used some of the asparagus for the tart, then the rest in a soup for another meal. Economical! We're going to try that, so tonight I made the tart and another pot of that delicious slow cooker French Onion Soup to go along with it.

Asparagus and Tomato Tart

Ingredients:

1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh asparagus tips, reserve stems for Round 2 Recipe
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained well, divided
Seasoning to taste (salt, pepper, etc)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the frozen pie crust onto a baking sheet. Poke the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes.

Saute the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. Add onion and asparagus tips to the skillet with the bacon fat and saute until tender.

In a large bowl whisk together ricotta, milk and eggs. Add parsley, bacon, half the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Make sure after the tomatoes are added to use a spoon to stir, not the whisk! Add asparagus and onion mixture and stir well. Pour egg mixture into the crust.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the tart is lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, toss the remaining tomatoes with the basil, balsamic vinegar and season with a pinch of salt and pepper and garlic powder. Serve as garnish for tart.



The Ingredients (minus the pie crust!)


It's baked!


And ready to eat!

Verdict: This was freaking delicious! I made sure to read the comments on the recipe before trying, so I kicked the seasoning up a bit by using some Tony's Creole seasoning, Salt, Garlic Powder and Onion Powder. Make sure to do that and you will have an awesome meal! I think this would be great as a brunch also.