Well, it has been much longer than I would like since I last posted an update. The last few weeks have gotten away from me — I can hardly believe it is February 2010! Where does the time go? I have been keeping busy and of course spending some time in the kitchen. One of my latest favorites is a tart I made using a sheet of puff pastry topped with fresh tomatoes, goat cheese and caramelized onions. This would make a nice addition to your menu for the big game on Sunday!
Goat Cheese, Onion & Tomato Tart
1 sheet of puff pastry (9x9), defrosted
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
5 ounces plain goat cheese
6 small (golf ball size) tomatoes on the vine, cut in half
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup of Parmesan or Romano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler, plus 1/3 cup grated
olive oil
sea salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425º. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Unfold the puff pastry onto the baking sheet, pressing the folds together gently. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sautée for 15 – 20 minutes, until almost all the moisture is gone from the pan. Add the white wine and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Continue cooking until the onions are brown and caramelized (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to rest in the pan.
With the tip of a sharp knife, score the pastry dough all around about 1/4 inch in from the edge. Be sure not to cut all the way through. Pierce the dough inside of the score lines multiple times with the tines of a fork as you would a pie crust.
Sprinkle grated cheese over the dough and then cover with onions, staying within the scored border. Next, crumble the goat cheese over the onions and add the halved tomatoes. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and spread the shaved Parmesan over the top. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is a nice golden brown. Add a sprinkling of thyme, cut into squares and serve.
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