Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Ah, I promised you all another tomato recipe.  I’m swimming in the the things.

I’ve always wanted to make a tomato tart. There is something so… handmade looking about them.  Simple food that is so beautiful to look at and tasty to eat… the simpler the flavours the better.

This recipe, which I got from Delia Online and then modified a bit to suit my tastes, uses ingredients that are so easy to find fresh and local this time of year that it’s practically a crime not to use them.  There is so much more flavour… and if you can get your hands on some of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes that are all over farmer’s markets this time of year, you can add some great colour to your finished tart.

Serve this one up with some fresh salad greens and you have a great light lunch or dinner.

Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

1lb of ripe tomatoes, any kind will do but cherry or grape tomatoes might be a bit small
5oz (150g) of soft goat’s cheese
4 tsp of chopped fresh thyme (plus a few sprigs)
2 tsp of chopped fresh basil (plus a few leaves)
1 pack of puff pastry
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F

Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a 12 x 12 size and place it on a parchment covered baking tray.

Using a sharp knife, score a line all the way around the pastry, about a 1/2 inch from the edge (be careful not to cut all the way through!)

Mix the goats cheese, crushed garlic, chopped basil and thyme in a small bowl and add in salt and pepper to taste.  Get all the bits mixed into the cheese and then take a small pallet knife, mini spatula or other round bladed knife and spread the mixture evenly on the pastry.  Keep within the scored lines and work carefully so you don’t tug the pastry.

Thinly slice the tomatoes (don’t peel them) and arrange them evenly on top of the cheese mixture.  You can overlap them, run them in lines, crisscross them – whatever looks nice to you.

Season the tomatoes with more salt and pepper and then drizzle them with olive oil and scatter the remaining basil leaves and sprigs of thyme all over the tart.

Bake in a preheated oven on the middle shelf for 55 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and the tomatoes are roasted and slightly charred on the edges.

For a warm tart, let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting into squares but it’s also great served cold!