ingredients
Goat Cheese & Cherry Tomato Ta
Goat Cheese Mixture
Caramelized Onions
Balsamic Reduction
Basil Oil
directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. With a cookie cutter or a knife cut four circles, 3 inches in diameter. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet & return to freezer for 20 minutes.
To bake, place another piece of parchment over puff pastry rounds & a baking sheet on top. This ensures the puff pastry to rise evenly & not to high. Bake in oven for 10 – 15 minutes rotating pan to ensure even cooking. When golden brown remove from oven & allow to cool.
In a stainless steel bowl or a kitchen aid with a whisk attachment. Whisk goat cheese with olive oil. Season with salt and white pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. When hot, add onions & thyme. Allow to sweat. When onions are transparent increase heat to medium high & stir with a wooden spoon until onions are caramelized (scraping bottom of the pot to prevent burning). When onions are a dark brown, season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Remove thyme bundle & refrigerate onions until ready to use.
In a round mould, place puff pastry on bottom and spread with caramelized onions. Dot the top with goat cheese. In a fry pan with a little olive oil slightly warm cherry tomatoes. Place tomatoes on top of goat cheese to cover entire surface. Place in oven for 4 – 5 minutes to heat thoroughly.
In a small pot over medium heat, reduce vinegar to ½ cup. Stir occasionally to ensure vinegar does not burn on the bottom. Remove from heat & allow to cool. Place in an airtight container & refrigerate until needed.
In a small pot of boiling water, briefly blanch herbs & immediately shock in ice water to preserve colour. Dry thoroughly. Puree in blender & gradually add oil. Refrigerate overnight. Strain through a cheesecloth lined sieve. Refrigerate oil until needed.
In the center of a large plate place ½ tsp of goat mixture. Place goat cheese tart on top & carefully remove the mould. Drizzle basil oil & balsamic reduction around the tart. Serve immediately.