Summer Vegetable Tart
This tart is full of great flavors conspiring on your behalf to provide you with an amazing food experience! Flaky puff pastry is topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, and summer vegetables. This is the best thing I've put into my mouth in a while.
Recipe and more over at The Alchemist.
Summer Vegetable Tart
adapted from the Garden Vegetable Tart from Better Homes and Gardens August,2012 Issue
Ingredients
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (half of a 17.3 oz. package.)
2 ears of fresh sweet corn, cooked already, perhaps from the night before - I didn't use all of the 2 ears, maybe 1 1/2
1 medium zucchini - thinly sliced lengthwise
1 pint cherry tomatoes - Surprisingly, I did use all of these
4 oz. thinly sliced fresh mozzarella (I probably used almost double this amount since my mozzarella was so thick, so the amount is to your taste. If you love lots of cheese, you're going to slice it a little thicker and use more, FYI.) Use enough sliced mozzarella to cover your tart.
Pesto - roughly 1/3 cup (79 ml.) - homemade or otherwise OR use 1/4 cup (59 ml.) tomato paste mixed with a little garlic, and thinned with a little water, OR use olive tapenade - I used homemade pesto like I previously mentioned
Fresh Basil - thinly sliced - (optional) - I would use this if you are NOT using pesto for the sauce. If you are using pesto, that's probably enough basil. I did not use extra basil, just wanted to mention it if you won't be using pesto.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, 220 degrees Celsius, or Gas Mark 7.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 14 inch by 10 inch rectangle. Transfer to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. (If you don't have parchment paper, you don't need it, it just really helps transferring the tart back to a cutting surface when it's done.) Prick the pastry all over with a fork, and bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and press it down with a spatula if it's too puffed up.
Now for the veg. If your corn isn't cooked already, you can microwave it wrapped in wax paper for 2 or 3 minutes. Or you can steam it, in a large pan with a steam basket and a little water, till it's just getting soft. I always cook my corn in it's husk in the oven at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, 200 degrees Celsius, Gas Mark 6, for about 40 minutes.
Lightly brush the zucchini slices, tomatoes and corn with a little olive oil and sprinkle on some salt. Prepare an indoor grill pan. ( I mean sure, you could grill the veg outdoors if that's how you roll.) Cook the vegetables on medium high heat till they are tender, a few minutes. I cut my cherry tomatoes in half and placed them on their backs, and cooked them just for a few minutes. The corn I had already cut off the husks so I didn't grill it, but next time I will, and the zucchini was so thin it just needed a minute or two. When that's done, set the vegetables aside. Cut the corn off the husks if you haven't already.
Spread your sauce (pesto, tomato paste mixture or olive tapenade) on the puff pastry. Add the mozzarella cheese, zucchini slices, corn, and tomatoes.
Bake 10-12 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the puff pastry is golden brown and delicious. Top with fresh basil (if using.)