My Madison Bistro

When I first received my copy of Back to Basics, I knew that someday I would make the goat cheese tart. I mean, it has some of my favorite components: puff pastry, goat cheese, caramelized onions, parmesan, thyme…add a glass of wine, and life is perfect.

I originally made this recipe last year for the Barefoot Bloggers, which I was eventually a drop-out of. Someday, I might rejoin, but I’ve made so many of Ina’s recipes already that I’ve had commitment issues.

If you haven’t tried these yet, do so! With a glass of crisp white wine, they are the perfect weekend lunch.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tarts
adapted from Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

Ingredients
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
Olive oil
2 c thinly sliced onions (mixture of red & yellow)
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
Sea salt & black pepper
Dry White Wine
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 oz herb goat cheese
6 grape tomatoes, sliced in half length-wise
3 large basil leaves, cut in a chiffonade
8 shavings of Parmesan cheese

Instructions
1. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and lightly flour each side. Roll the sheet into an 11×11 inch square. Using a 6 inch wide bowl, cut two circles from the pastry, reserving the rest for another use. Place the pastry on a sheet pan lined with parchment and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add the garlic and saute for about a minute or until fragrant. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and the thyme; stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with a splash of wine, scraping the bottom to loosen any brown bits.

3. Preheat oven to 425. Continue to cook the onions for another 10 minutes or until the onions are golden brown. Deglaze the pan one more time with a splash of wine to loosen any brown bits. Turn off the heat.

4. Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/2 inch wide border around each pastry circle, but don’t cut through the pastry. Dock the pastry inside the border with a fork.

5. Place half the onion mixture on each circle, being careful to keep the onions inside the border. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on each tart. Arrange tomato halves into a circle on top of the onions. Brush the tomatoes and onions lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Top with parmesan shavings.

6. Bake for twenty minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Cut into fourths and serve.

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, caramelized onions, tarts, tomatoes

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