My sister-in-law, Casey makes a version of this tart and I always love it! It’s what inspired me to make this. Plus, it’s the perfect appetizer because everyone loves it, it looks super impressive, but it’s secretly super simple to make.
I’ve been trying to keep puff pastry in the freezer for last minute appetizers and desserts and I’ve ended up finding more ways to use it than I expected. I love to make homemade “pop tarts” with it – all you need is jam, cornstarch, and powdered sugar. But that’s another recipe for another day…
Tomato Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 1 cup total of tomatoes, grape, cherry, heirloom, a mix, they all work!
- Balsamic glaze, here’s the one I use
- Handful of fresh basil, cut into strips or torn into pieces
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Unfold the puff pastry and lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly roll over the pastry with a rolling pin to flatten out the creases in the pastry. Careful not to stretch the pastry too much – you’re not trying to make it longer or wider. Take a paring knife and make a boarder about 1/2 an inch wide along the pastry. you don’t want to cut all the way through the pastry, just make an indentation as this will be the edge or “crust.” Take a fork and poke the inside of the boarder multiple times – about 12 all over the inside area. Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven. The pastry will still be very light at this point, but it will have started to puff up.
While the pastry is cooking, cut the tomatoes. If they’re small, cut them in half. If they’re larger, cut them into slices about 1/4 inch thick. place the cut tomatoes on a paper towel with another paper town on top. This will help absorb some of the moisture so the pastry doesn’t get soggy.
Turn the oven up to 425 degrees.
Place the cut tomatoes inside the boarder of the par baked pastry. Crumble goat cheese on top. Sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and pepper. Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
Remove from oven and top with basil and drizzles of balsamic glaze. Cut into pieces and enjoy!
Tips:
This is amazing during tomato season! Cover with slices of different tomatoes from your garden or the farmers market and serve with a salad for an easy and delicious dinner.
