My Tomato, Zucchini, And Goat Cheese Tart is a great alternative to eating meat. It’s really satisfying and delicious. The jam takes quite a while to make but the good news is you can make it in advance.

First, you want to caramelize the onions. Start with a sweet onion like a Vidalia. Vidalia onions are really the best ones to use for this dish because they’re naturally sweet.

Tip: Invest in a small coffee grinder. Coffee grinders are really inexpensive, and there is nothing better that freshly ground black pepper.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Yields: 2 (9 x 13) tarts, 12 servings
Yields: 2 cups of tomato-onion jam
Equipment: Mandolin, 2 (9 x 13) rimmed baking sheet pans, rolling pin, chef’s knife, pastry brush

Ingredients For Tomato-Onion Jam:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced in half-moons
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of  Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar for caramelizing the onions (optional)
6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves, freshly ground (substitute ground cloves)

Ingredients For The Tart:
1 box of Puff Pastry sheets
5 Roma tomatoes, 1/4-inch in thickness
2 zucchinis, sliced, 1/4-inch in thickness
2 yellow squash sliced, 1/4-inch in thickness
1 1/2 cups of roasted red bell peppers, julienned
3 (4-ounce) packages of goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons of Kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
Garnish with fresh oregano leaves (substitute julienned basil leaves)

Directions For Tomato-Onion Jam:
In a large non-stick sautèpan over medium heat, add olive oil,  the thinly sliced onions, sugar, 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Place a lid on the pan to give them a head start in softening, about 5 minutes, remove the lid. Continue cooking the onions, stirring frequently, preventing the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat to medium-low if you see the onions are starting to burn. Cook until they become soft and caramel in color, about 40 minutes.

Next, to the caramelized onions add the quartered and seeded Roma tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, fresh lemon juice, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, red pepper flakes, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Turn the heat up to medium bringing the mixture up to a boil reduce heat to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have broken down and jam has thickened and developed a jammy consistency, around 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.
Line 2 rimmed baking sheet pans with parchment paper. Thaw Puff Pastry according to instructions on the package. Once thawed, roll the sheet into approx. 11 x 13-inch rectangle. Transfer the sheet of Puff Pastry onto a lined baking sheet. Prick the center of the sheet of dough all over with a fork leaving a 3/4-inch margin on all sides. This way the center won’t puff up during baking. Repeat this process for the second sheet of Puff Pastry. Transfer the 2 baking sheet pans into the refrigerator to chill the dough, about 15 minutes.

Using a *mandolin, slice the zucchini, yellow squash. Next, using a very sharp knife slice the Roma tomatoes 1/4-inch in thickness.

After 15 minutes, remove the pans from the frig. Divide the tomato-onion jam between the two sheets of dough. Spread the jam all over leaving the 3/4-inch border on all sides. Next, layer the sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and sliced Roma tomatoes alternating them in color. Repeat process for the second sheet pan. Crumble goat cheese over all the veggies. Lay the julienned roasted peppers, here and there, on top. Drizzle the top of each tart with olive oil, then sprinkle each with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Brush the edges of the Puff Pastry with an *egg wash. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until it’s nice and golden brown in color. Garnish with fresh oregano (or basil leaves) leaves. Serve hot or at room temperature.

There you have it, my Tomato, Zucchini, And Goat Cheese Tart.

*Egg wash: Whisk together 1 beaten egg and a tablespoon of water or milk.
*Mandolin: A tool that allows you to slice vegetables in several widths and thicknesses.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/