Tomato and Feta Tart

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This easy and elegant recipe for Tomato and Feta Tart uses store-bought puff pastry to make a mouth-watering open-face pie crust that gets topped with creamy mustard, caramelized onion, tomato, feta cheese, and fresh herbs. Serve as an appetizer or as an entree with a side salad.

Years ago, my sister Julia, and her fellow Culinary Institute of America graduate friend, Chloe, visited me in Sacramento. I was THRILLED when she mentioned they would rather stay in for dinner than go out -but cooking for two CIA graduates was admittedly pretty intimidating.

So I decided to keep things simple and prepare this incredible tomato and feta tart I stumbled upon in Everyday Food Magazine. Needless to say, it was a hit. The tomatoes and herbs were freshly picked from my garden (I love being able to say that) and the fresh flavors really shined through.
The best part? This tomato and feta tart is semi-homemade. Using store-bought puff pastry cuts a huge corner, but I can assure you -no one will know the difference. Once baked, the pastry becomes a lightly crisped and flaky crust -the perfect vessel for sweet caramelized onion, delicious ripened tomato slices, feta cheese, and fresh herbs.

Ingredients //

• Puff Pastry (thawed) – bakes into a golden brown crusty pastry. The flaky layers are buttery but they are not sweet, so puff pastry is a great dough for both savory and sweet tarts.
• Grainy Mustard – In good grainy mustard, the mustard seeds are ground just enough to make a course Dijon spread.
• Sour Cream – tones down the flavor and texture of the grainy mustard making a creamy and flavorful spread.
• Salt & Pepper – enhances the flavor.
• Onions (large) – The onions are first caramelized and then spread between the creamy mustard and tomatoes as a barrier to prevent the pastry from getting soggy.
• Butter – is used to caramelize the onions.
• Tomatoes – If you can, use vine-ripened tomatoes as they have the best flavor.
• Feta Cheese – is a soft cheese with a mild tangy flavor. The cool feta provides a pleasant contrast to the freshly baked and warm tart.
• Fresh Herbs – add fresh flavor and enhance the natural sweetness of vine-ripened tomatoes.

How to Make // The Steps

Step 1: In a saute pan over low heat, caramelize the onions with the butter. Cook over low heat until the onions are brown and soft.

Step 2: Roll out the puff pastry onto a floured surface.

Step 3: Put the puff pastry on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Step 4: In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mustard and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5: Spread the mustard mixture over the dough, fold the edges of the dough over to form a crust if you will.

Step 6: Spread a layer of the onions over the mustard mixture. It acts like a barrier to prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Step 7: Slice the tomatoes.

Step 8: Arrange the tomatoes over the onion crust.

Step 9: Season with salt and pepper.

Step 10: Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven, about 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is brown and crisp. Have I mentioned that I lurve puff pastry.

Step 11: Get your feta and basil ready. Wait until the tart cools down a bit before you the herbs and cheese on.

Step 12: Top with the feta and basil. You can serve this tart in small pieces for an appetizer or as a main course with a small salad. You can also play around with the cheese that you use, goat cheese would be great here too.

Tips & Tricks

• If you prefer the crust extra crispy, poke the crust with a fork and pre-bake for 5 minutes before assembling the tart and finishing it.
• Slice tomatoes the same size so that everything bakes evenly.
• Salt your tomatoes. The moisture released from a super juicy tomato may seep through and make the dough soggy. To help prevent this, sprinkle salt on the tomato slices about 10 minutes before assembling the tart. The salt will draw out most of the excess moisture and then you can just blot it away with a paper towel.

Why is Tomato and Feta Tart So Good?

• Customizable. You can switch up every layer of this tart and make it completely your own!
• Semi-homemade but tastes like it’s made-from-scratch. Despite using store-bought puff pastry, this recipe tastes like a gourmet dish!
• Great use of summer tomatoes! When gardens and farmers’ markets are booming with juicy red tomatoes, this is a unique way to use them.
• Great for gatherings as an appetizer or as an entree -this tart is sure to impress your guests.

Variations //

• Tomatoes: This tomato and feta tart is a great way to use up a surplus of summer tomatoes including cherry, Roma, beefsteak, etc. If tomatoes aren’t in season, try using a combination of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh tomatoes. The sun-dried tomatoes will sweeten things up a bit.
• Cheese: In place of feta cheese, use your favorite soft, mild cheese. You could use ricotta, goat cheese or “chevre”, gorgonzola, etc.
• Add more veggies: like asparagus, sliced zucchini, and squash, spinach, arugula, etc.

How to Store and Reheat //

Storing: If not serving right away, allow the tart to cool completely to room temperature before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and storing it in an airtight container. Reheat in a 400F degree preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.

FAQ

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