My friend was telling me about a recipe she made with goat cheese and tomatoes in a tart…. This got my thoughts going! I love it when an idea jumps in my head and takes over. It took me a good week and a half before I had time to actually get around to trying out my new recipe idea… It was worth the wait. Here’s what you need…
For the tart:
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (keep cold)
- 3 Tbsp. butter,
- 2 slices of a large onion, cut in half
- about a half pound of assorted mushrooms, (I used shitaki, portabella and cremini) sliced
- fresh thyme sprigs
- salt and fresh cracked pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper, optional
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 5 – 6 oz. pkg. fresh goats cheese (chèvre) , softened to room temperature
For the salad:
- 1 bunch watercress, rinsed well
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 325°. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion until slightly caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and mushrooms to the pan, season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme (be generous with the thyme) and sauté 3 or 4 minutes until tender. Add wine and let reduce and thicken a little. Remove from heat and set aside. Unfold puff pastry onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Score the pastry 1/2 inch from edge by gently cutting with a knife, not cutting through to the bottom. Fold this 1/2 inch edge inward over the pastry square creating a raised edge to your tart.
Spread the goat cheese over the bottom of the pastry. Cover this with the mushroom mixture and some additional leaves of fresh thyme. Bake for about 18 -20 minutes until pastry is cooked through and golden on the edges. Toss the watercress with the olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. To serve, cut a slice of tart to plate and top with a handful of the watercress salad. Pair this with a glass of that white wine that you opened just for this recipe and enjoy!
*Note… This recipe can be done without the wine if you like.
*If you can’t find watercress you can substitute baby arugula.
*This is a wonderful dish to serve for brunch, lunch, as an appetizer or a larger portion for a light dinner!
