Tomato Tarts
These stunning tarts make for a beautiful addition to your Tomato Fest spread. Although they look fussy, using puff pastry is a great shortcut on party prep and no one will be the wiser. The mix of ingredients can be played with, swapping out herbs and cheese to your liking, making this a fun go-to recipe that is sure to impress every time.
Ingredients
- 2 puff pastries frozen
- 1 fennel bulb core removed, a few fronds reserved
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- zest 1 large lemon
- 4 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon rosemary leaves minced
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 ounces taleggio cheese grated
- 3 heirloom tomatoes sliced
- a handful of cherry tomatoes sliced
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk whole preferred
- fresh Parmesan
- fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Remove puff pastries from the package. Let them thaw on two large pieces of parchment paper on a cutting board while you prepare the ingredients.
- Layer heirloom tomato slices in a colander and allow to drain excess juices about 15 minutes.
- Using a mandoline or sharp knife, thinly slice the fennel. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add fennel and sauté until slightly softened, then add the lemon zest, garlic, thyme and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is soft, the fennel is al dente and the mixture is fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once your puff pastry has thawed enough to unfold into rectangles, use a rolling pin and roll each into a square, about 12 x 12. Using a sharp knife, cut each pastry sheet into four, then score each pastry about an inch from the edge all around, so the border will rise during baking. Transfer tart shells to two large sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
