onion and blue cheese tart

In case you are as late to the cooking geniusness which is Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets as I have been, let's fix that right now. The P-farm puff pastry as well as the Dufour brand (more upscale, made in smaller batches, better ingredients, more expensive which are available in some supermarkets, and IMHO not that much better than the P-farm) is the most exciting thing to happen to my kitchen since forever. I really like the P-farm stuff as it's not made with butter and I cook for people who can't handle dairy. The pastry comes out perfect; flaky, rich, moist and when you brush it with an egg wash it bakes into a rich, Victorian beouf en croute color. I'm going to be posting some of my favorite recipes that you can use the P-farm puff with in the next few weeks. I made this tart to go with brunch for a friend's birthday last weekend. You can make it to serve as an hors d'oeuvre with (red or white) wine, as the centerpiece of a light lunch with an arugula salad, or a side dish with dinner. It's sooo good and easy to make. The other thing to think about is substituting regular soft goat cheese if you don't like roquefort.

onion and blue cheese tart

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Frozen Pastry [they come two to a box], thawed about 30 mins

filling
2 Tbs olive or canola oil
4 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
6 1/2 oz crumbly blue cheese (roquefort is very good in this recipe)
3 oz small, oil-cured, pitted black olives
2 Tbs fresh thyme, leaves pulled off stalks
fresh ground black pepper

pre-heat oven to 400. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is a rough rectangle shape and about 1/8 of an inch thick. [when you take it out of the box it is 1/4 inch thick to give you an idea] Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put the pastry on it.

cook the oil, onions, and lemon rind in a frying pan over a medium heat. you want the onions soft and golden brown. turn of the heat and let them cool slightly.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pastry, leaving a 1 inch or less border. Top with the cooked onions, olives, thyme leaves and pepper. fold over the corners to make a neat looking border. Bake 23-30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. Serve warm....

Comments

[emmie johnson]

Gosh! What a wonderful recipe. Have to try this one out. I am already beginning to feel hungry.
Drop into my blog on friendship greeting cards for some lovely e-cards and friendly tips.

[Margaret L.]

Great minds think alike. I just made this yesterday.

via epicurious.com

MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

The mixture known as duxelles (diced mushrooms cooked with shallots or onions) probably dates back to the seventeenth century. It is said that the famous chef La Varenne, who worked for the Marquis d’Uxelles, created this recipe to preserve mushrooms. Serve this tart with baby greens for a light lunch, or enjoy it as a starter with a white Burgundy.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces button mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large shallot, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 large egg, beaten to blend

3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft and dry, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet, then shallot. Sauté until shallot is soft, about 4 minutes longer. Add nutmeg. Season mushroom filling with salt and pepper. Cool.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out puff pastry onto lightly floured surface to 12x15-inch rectangle. Cut one 12x5-inch rectangle, two 11x1/2-inch strips and two 5x1/2-inch strips from pastry. Place rectangle on prepared baking sheet. Pierce all over with fork. Using pastry brush, brush all strips with egg. Place short strips, egg side down, atop ends of pastry to form raised crust edge; place long strips, egg side down, atop long sides of pastry. (Mushroom filling and tart shell can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake tart shell until golden, about 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Spread cheese evenly over bottom of hot tart shell. Top with mushrooms. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with cream. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.