Category Archives: Starters

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Posted in Starters by


I can’t get enough of summer tomatoes. If food could get married I bet goat cheese and tomatoes would be the first in line. I started making this awhile back when I saw it in Ina Garten’s cookbook. She has the most amazing recipes and they never disappoint me. She makes these as individual tarts, which the recipe will show. But I made it a big tart and you can see that it works either way.

The tart goes great with a nice cold glass of Pinot Grigio or any other kind of crisp white wine. Hurry up and make this before the season of tomatoes ends.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

  • 1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
  • Good olive oil
  • 4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
  • 4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
  • 1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
  • 3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions.

Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Creamy Fresh Tomato and Basil Soup

Posted in Main Dish, Soup, Starters by

Last week I went to the Amish Farmers Market and bought a ton of tomatoes. I love tomatoes and have been making anything and everything with them. I used to not like tomato soup, then I liked it only with grilled cheese, now I love tomato soup! It’s funny as we get older our tastes change. I’ve been wanting to make tomato soup on my own and not go to that can stuff. I saw this recipe in my beloved, signed, Ina Garten cookbook. I knew I had to make this and I’m glad I did. This went great with grilled cheese!

I made a few changes, one was by adding more heavy cream. The basil flavor is very strong and the consistency wasn’t where I wanted it, the extra cream did it. (I made the adjustments in the recipe below) The other thing I did different was pureed it in a food processor. I do not have a food mill, like the recipe calls for. Pureeing it in the food processor and then straining it worked fine. I would love to get a food mill, but till then this method works.

Creamy Fresh Tomato and Basil Soup

  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
  • 2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
  • 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
  2. Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left. (Alternative method, puree in food processor or blender then strain through fine mesh strainer) Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves

Adapted from: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust

Posted in Sides, Starters, Vegetables by

Summer is not my favorite time of the year. It’s so hot and humid and just plain icky. But, there is one thing I love during the summer and that’s fresh tomatoes. Nothing beats a freshly picked tomato. I ask that you please bare with me the next several weeks as my focus is on tomatoes and other summer veggies. I have to focus on something so that Fall will hurry up and get here. If you didn’t know, I LOVE fall and I love pumpkin so consider yourselves warned.

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust

  • 1 recipe Basil and Garlic Tart Dough
  • 8oz mozzarella cheese, very thinly sliced
  • 2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 1lb), cored, and cut crosswise into thin slices
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1tbs extra-virgin olive oil

1. Prepare the dough, and press it into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (The tart shell can be refrigerated for several hours if desired)

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the bottom of the tart shell with mozzarella. Arrange the tomatoes over the cheese in a ring around the edge of the tart and a second ring in the center, slightly overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has started to brown in spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 5 minutes before slicing. (The tart may be covered and kept at room temperature for 6 hours.)

Basil-Garlic Tart Dough:

  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2tsp kosher salt
  • 8tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8-10 pieces
  • 4-5tbs ice water

1. Place the basil and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until finely chopped. Add flour and salt; pulse to combine.

2. Add butter. Pulse about 10 times, or until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.

3. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition. After 4 tablespoons water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if the mixture forms a ball. If not, add remaining water. Process until dough forms into a ball. Remove dough from processor.

4. Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk. Wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be placed in a zipper-lock plastic bag and refrigerated for several days or frozen for 1 month. If frozen, defrost the dough in the refrigerator.)

5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Lay the dough over the tart pan, and press it into the pan. Trim the dough, and proceed with the recipe as directed.

Source: The Complete Italian Vegetarian by Jack Bishop

Goat Cheese Spread with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

Posted in Misc, Sides, Starters by

I whipped these up the other night to go with the Chicken Milanese. I love the combination of goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and basil. I toasted up the slices of Italian bread and I must tell you the awful truth of that night. I put the slices of bread under the broiler and turned my back. I know better but I couldn’t help myself. I started chopping up the tomatoes while having a nice conversation with my kids. The next thing I knew I was smelling burnt bread. I was able to salvage 8 slices of bread so we could enjoy this wonderful cheese spread. I don’t add any salt to this because the goat cheese and tomatoes have enough salt and any more would be too much.

Your tip of the day: DO NOT turn your back on bread you have toasting in the oven!

Goat Cheese Spread w/Sun-dried Tomatoes and Basil

  • 1 loaf Italian Bread sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic cut in half
  • 8oz Plain goat cheese
  • 3 tbs chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
  • 2tbs chopped fresh basil
  • Dash of pepper

1. Set rack to top shelf and toast both sides of the bread under the broiler, flipping them over once. When nice and browned take them out and set on plate.

2. With the cut side of the garlic rub it onto the hot bread. You will notice the garlic melts a bit on the toasted bread.

3. Mix together the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pepper and basil.

4. Spread the cheese mix on the toasted bread and enjoy.