Green Tomato Tart

When the first frost of the season hit, we still had a ton of tomatoes on the vine. We picked everything and brought them inside to ripen on the windowsill. Figuring most of them would ripen at the same time, I decided to use a few of them while they were still green.

Several of the tomatoes were plum tomatoes, which are too small in diameter to fry. Well, nothing is too small to fry, I suppose (making them "small fries") but all that breading and frying of small things is too time-consuming for me. Instead, I opted to make a simple tart. And "tart" was the right word for it, as I used tangy goat cheese as well as the under-ripe tomatoes. A sprinkle of sugar on the top before baking bumped up the sweetness level, while still leaving the tart on the, er, tart side.

Green Tomato Tart

2 ounces creamy goat cheese (I like the Montchevre crottins sold in 3-packs at Trader Joe's)
1-2 teaspoons finely minced herbs, like dill, chives, parsley
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
2-5 green tomatoes, depending on size (I used 4 plum tomatoes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine goat cheese and herbs. Stir in enough cream to create a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice tomatoes very thinly.

Place pastry square on Silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Fold over each of the four sides about 1/2" inch to form a crust. Fill the interior with the goat cheese mixture, spreading evenly. Shingle on tomato slices. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes have dried out and crust is golden.

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer or side.



Posted on Minxeats.com.