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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Tomato and Feta Cheese Tarts


This recipe comes directly from “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics” cookbook by one of my favorite TV personalities, Ina Garten. I decided to make this when I stumbled upon a link-up on one of the blogs I follow called “It’s a Keeper.”  You can find the link to "It's a Keeper' in my blog roll. We were challenged to make something from either this cookbook or “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” by Ree Drumond. I’ve made quite a few things by Ina and I must say, except for her excessive use of butter, I love her stuff. Her Lemon Chicken Breasts is coming soon here on my blog.  

I would say this tart recipe is a ‘keeper.’ I did swap out the goat cheese (not a fan) for feta (a huge fan). Other than that, it’s pretty straight forward. Unfortunately, the tomatoes here in Michigan are terrible this time of year….. I can imagine this with a freshly grown tomato right from my garden. The recipe in the cookbook makes four tarts; I cut it in half and only made two.

This would be perfect as a first course or as a light supper served with a big salad. Enjoy!


Here’s what you need:
1 package puff pastry, defrosted
Olive oil (I didn’t use)
4 C thinly sliced onions
3-4 cloves garlic (I forgot them!)
3 T dry white wine
2 t fresh thyme leaves (I used ½ t dried)
4 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces goat cheese (I used Greek feta)
1 large tomato, sliced thinly
3 T julienned fresh basil leaves (I used just a tiny bit of dried)
2 more ounces grated Parmesan cheese (I didn’t use this)

Here’s what you do:
Carefully lay out the pastry and cut out large circles. You should get two per sheet. Then score another circle ¼ inch all the way around the dough. Prick the inside of the tart with a fork. Place on baking sheet which has been lined with parchment paper.



Cook onions in a bit of oil until very soft and brown. The secret here is low heat for a long time – be patient. Add the wine, salt and thyme and continue to cook until perfect. This whole onion process could take up to 20 minutes.



Divide onions evenly between the tarts, being careful to stay in the inner circle. Distribute the feta and tomato and Parmesan between the tarts. Sprinkle with basil.



Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. I also broiled mine for just a minute to get a toasty top.  Elegant and surprisingly easy.  Another keeper from Ina Garten.

(printable recipe) .... or just buy the book - you won't be sorry! 


10 comments:

  1. This looks fabulous! I love Ina and have to admit I've never made one of her recipes!

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  2. all Hail Feta Cheese! Luscious.
    Miss T
    x

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  3. My mouth is watering. Ina's recipes are so good. Individual tarts are always impressive with guests too.

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  4. Mmm, I love tomatoes. These tarts look luscious.

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  5. WOW! This looks fantastic! My mind is spinning with the possibilities -- I'm thinking swapping in mozzarella for the cheese and adding some basil. Or swap out the tomato for roasted red peppers. YUM!

    Thanks for participating in It's a Keeper's cookbook review!

    Christina @ It's a Keeper

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  6. I can't wait for summer to enjoy a tart like this. Besides looking beautiful, I know they taste great. I want to add her new book to my collection, just haven't had a chance yet. Now you are going to have me thinking about these all day. He He
    Hope you have a wonderful day.
    -Gina-

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  7. Following the It's a Keeper cookbook review and this one looks amazing! You can do so many variations with this basic recipe too! Thanks for sharing.

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  8. I never thought of varying this recipe, but all your good ideas (like mozzarella) sound great. I suppose you could do any cheese and then any veggie combo. Really, these were pretty impressive. Can't wait for fresh tomatoes!

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  9. I have this book, I've seen this recipe, but have never tried it. Thanks for the great tutorial, I'm trying it now. It looks delicious!

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  10. I thought those looked familiar! Yummy! This one is in my collection as well. Well done!

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