March 26, 2009

Bell Pepper and Goat Cheese Tarts

It's Barefoot Thursday again and I'll spare you another love letter to Ina, although it's certainly in order. Needless to say, these were a hit. I made a few changes- using chicken stock instead of wine, bell peppers instead of tomatoes, and making the tarts smaller to get a few more per sheet. I actually used the cover to a stack of CD's to cut the tarts- like a big cookie cutter. It worked great. You can bet I'll make these again soon. What can I say, I love goat cheese and I LOVE Ina's recipes! I hope everyone liked this one too.

Bell Pepper and Goat Cheese Tarts

Adapted from Ina Garten

  • 1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
  • Good 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
  • 3 tablespoons dry white wine (I used chicken stock)
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 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 (I used two bell peppers)
  • 3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions

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.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

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.

43 comments:

  1. Great choice thanks Anne. I made mine a bit smaller as well - the lid from a box of icing tips was my cutter! I loved this tart.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was such a great choice. It has become one of my favorite Ina recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Anne, these were great. I like that you can use seasonal veggies. Yours looks great with the peppers!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great choice! It was delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome pick, Anne! I bet they were great with the bell peppers. This one is so versatile, I know we'll be having these a lot on busy weeknights. Thanks for choosing such a winner for us!

    ReplyDelete
  6. You picked a good one Anne. Can hardly wait to make it again with other ingredients and a lower oven temp.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I made some similar changes to my tarts as well by making them smaller and using chicken stock instead of wine. I usually don't like goat cheese but actually enjoyed these. Good pick!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a great idea using the cd cover! I loved this recipe...I skipped the puff pastry and used a pizza dough instead.

    Great pic Anne!! I love yours with the peppers...they look awesome!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have waited all week to comment on this dish. Thanks for the great selection and I like your spin of using peppers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anne, thank you for choosing such a delicious recipe - I loved it! Love your take on the tarts -- sounds delish. And great idea on using the CDs for cutting the tarts out. I ended up freehanding mine...which made for some interesting shapes...

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This was a great choice! We really enjoyed these and I love that the recipe is so versatile based on what veggies you have on hand.

    ReplyDelete
  12. These look so delicious! I guess you can never go wrong with an Ina recipe. I love that you subbed bell peppers for tomatoes--although I'm a fan of both, I think the bite in the pepper would make for an EVEN better tart. Plus, who doesn't love goat cheese?!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for the great choice Anne! We really loved it. Yours look amazing, bell pepper was a good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for picking such an amazing recipe! This was my first with Barefoot Bloggers and I was so happy! Your tarts look great!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This turned out beautifully!!!! Thank you for a wonderful choice! And nice job on finding something as the "template" I couldn't find anything in my cupboard that was near the right size until I just HAPPENED to find my 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup...it was a PERFECT size! Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Anne!! I followed the recipe exactly and was completely blown away. I love Ina for the recipe, and you for picking it. Love your bell pepper version!

    ReplyDelete
  17. EXCELLENT choice my dear! We really did enjoy them... just wish I had made them in my tart pans.

    ~Cat

    ReplyDelete
  18. OH! We love goat cheese! I'm going to have to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love Ina's recipes and her show on Food Network....your tarts look great!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love goat cheese. This is something right up my alley. Sounds very very delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Love the photo! Looks like a different & unique dish to try.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This was such a great pick. I loved all the flavors. I love the bright colors the peppers gave your tarts too. I threw some spinach in with my onions andit would be fun to experiment with other veggies too. Thanks for choosing them!

    ReplyDelete
  23. They were a great pick - easy and tasty. I love your subsitutions too. I'll definitely have to try it with the peppers. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful tart: love the colours in it!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for the pick Anne! Your adaptation looks wonderful. We are big pepper fans around here...I'll have to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  26. your red bell pepper looks like a butterfly.

    good pic.

    shannon

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love how the pepper slice looks like a butterfly!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Great pick Anne! I couldn't wait to try this and then I forgot this week so I made them last night. We really enjoyed them. I would love your version, but unfortunately my DH would not. He hates peppers!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Love the change-up to bell peppers - it makes it look so bright and cheery.

    ReplyDelete
  30. You're a girl after my heart. This was a super recipe made from things I LOVE! I agree, Ina can really put together some terrific recipes.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Yum! What a tasty choice for a recipe :)

    I think bell peppers would have been a great addition too!

    ReplyDelete
  32. This was an awesome choice! I'm so excited about the endless possibilities with this recipe. These were fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Your tart looking so delicious Anne, love bell pepper and goat cheese together.
    Cheers,
    elra

    ReplyDelete
  34. The peppers were a great substitution. Hard to get decent tomatoes this time of year. Great pick!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Let me jump on the wagon and say thank you as well. These were really good and easy.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great choice! I never would've tried this recipe on my own. It was soooo good!

    ReplyDelete
  37. loved this one. Thanks for the pick!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I heart Ina too so love letters are okay. :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. This was my first time cooking with goat cheese and I was quite happy with this recipe, thanks Anne. I made mini sizes also, using small cookie cutters and just one shallot for the entire recipe. That was fine for ONE person, for my dinner. Great choice!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Great choice Anne! I love the versatility this recipe offered. Your look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  41. These look great! I have actually never had goat cheese before, but would love to try it. I got the goody bag in the mail a couple days ago- thank you very much :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Mmmmm, this looks really yummy!

    ReplyDelete