Sweet Tarts

     On Saturday I picked another 100 cherry and grape tomatoes from my 3 vines.  I can't use them or give them away fast enough.  So I turned to the Internet for assistance in looking for recipes that will help me enjoy these little orbs.  I'm also scouring recent culinary magazines in an attempt to come up with new ways to prepare them.  I did find one that was for stuffed cherry tomatoes.  Are you kidding me?  How long would it take to slice off a tiny sliver of the bottom so they stand up without rolling over, then cut off the top and scoop out each one (with an eye dropper, perhaps?).  When that was completed I was to cube up a block of feta cheese into tiny squares to place inside each tomato.  Sounds very labor intensive to me.

     Then I recalled a recipe I had already in my file.  It was labeled simply "Tomato Tarts."  But I prefer to call it by the name of this posting, Sweet Tarts.  It's really very simple, has only a few ingredients and above all, it tastes good!  Here it is:

Tomato Tarts

2 sheets frozen puff pastry                                 2 Tbsp milk

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 tsp water                   8 each red & yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

2 oz herb flavored goat cheese, softened         2 Tbsp minced fresh basil

                                                       salt & pepper to taste

Thaw puff pastry  according to package instructions.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Cut one pastry sheet into 4 even squares.  Place squares on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cut remaining sheet into 8 strips each 3/4" wide.  Cut the 8 strips into half crosswise to make 16 strips, 4 to 5" each.

     Place 4 strips around the edge of each pastry square, overlapping corners.  Lightly brush pastry edges and corners with egg wash; bake until puffed and brown, 22-24 minutes.

     Whisk together goat cheese and milk.  Divide cheese mixture among centers of baked tarts, spreading it with a spatula and pressing lightly to deflate centers.  Top cheese mixture with the tomato halves and season with salt and pepper.

     Bake tarts 5 minutes more.  Remove from oven and garnish with basil.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 tarts

Cuisine at Home, Issue 82, August 2010, p.22