Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart

So, I’ve been gardening for many years and I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a season like this before. There have been good seasons and not so good seasons, but this year? I don’t even know how to explain it. This is a phenomenal growing season. I had zucchini in June – like, what?! And today, just the very beginning of July, I pulled a half dozen cucumbers off the vine and a few handfuls of peppers. Don’t get me started on the herbs – I can’t make enough basil pesto sauce to keep up with the yields. I know, I’ve got real problems, right?

But the stars of my garden, and what we wait for all season long, are the tomatoes. This year I planted my usual 6 or 7 plants – some beefsteak, one cherry tomato, one orange, a few hybrid. Let me just tell you – these plants are high – I mean, high like corn! I had to buy all new stakes just to support these mammoth tomato plants! And oh, the fruit… queue eyes rolling back in head. So so good. The first thing I made with these beautiful babies was this Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart.

Of course I already knew that there would be extra for me and the Big Guy because – sigh – Mini Me and really most of my extended family “don’t like tomatoes”. I don’t get that. How do you eat ketchup, marinara sauce, pizza, but you won’t eat a tomato? Rude. I will literally sprinkle some salt on a tomato and eat it like an apple. And there is nothing in this world like a garden fresh tomato. So fine, don’t eat the Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart, haters. More for me.

The magic of Whipped Goat Cheese

However, this time, to my surprise, this tangy, creamy, flaky tart disappeared very quickly. Tomato haters were converted! Victory! If anything could to it, it’s this tart. I credit the goat cheese – it really draws you in. How can something be so mild yet have such a unique and specific flavor profile? It’s just so good. I’m always a yes for goat cheese, and it was a natural choice for this tart because I really did expect it to be a crowd pleaser. But guess what I did to it that I’ve never done before – I whipped it. OMG. The best. Think of butter and then think of whipped butter. Think of cream and then think of whipped cream. Yeah. It’s like that.

What you need for this Garden Tomato Tart

So I whipped the goat cheese and then I figured, why stop at the tomatoes? While I was in the garden, I grabbed some fresh herbs and used them as a marinade for the tomatoes. So yum. For this recipe, I used parsley, basil and thyme. I think you could try any fresh herbs you have. Don’t feel limited to the ones I used. In fact, I think next time I make it, I might add some fresh oregano to the mix. This is fun cooking, so be creative!

In addition to the herbs, tomatoes and goat cheese, you’ll also need sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and one egg white.

An easy crust for this Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart

Frozen puff pastry is a reliably good and easy base for this Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart. Sure, you could make your own crust, but it’s summer. Cook quickly and get outside. We only get a few warm months around here, and I’m not trying to spend them in the kitchen.

If you wanted to make this tart a little more like a pizza, you could swap in refrigerated pizza dough for the puff pastry. I’m taking this beautiful creation outside along with a big green salad and a chilled bottle of Rioja or Syrah and enjoying a light summertime meal. I hope you’ll do the same. Enjoy!

Garden Tomato & Whipped Goat Cheese Tart

Ripe tomatoes and garden-fresh herbs layered with tangy, creamy goat cheese in flaky puff pastry

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

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• 1 package of frozen puff pastry dough
• 2 1/2 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes not packed in oil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
• 12 oz. goat cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 egg white beaten

Instructions

 

• Core and slice the tomatoes into thin slices and place in a large bowl.
• Place the sun dried tomatoes, herbs, salt, pepper and garlic into a food processor and blend until finely minced. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil in a steady stream until combined into a paste. Gently toss the mixture with the tomatoes.
• Rinse out the food processor, then add the goat cheese and Parmesan. Whip until smooth. You may have to stop the motor a few times to scrape down the edges of the bowl.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thaw both sheets of puff pastry according to the package directions. Roll both sheets out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, pressing the seams together. You should end up with approximately a 9×13 rectangle. Prick the entire pastry with a fork. Brush the dough with the beaten egg white. Spread the goat cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Layer the tomato slices in an overlapping pattern, lengthwise. Top with any remaining herb oil. Bake 35-40 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Keyword cheese, heirloom tomatoes, vegetarian

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