I know that I am no master in baking but I have been hoping to bake more when I got more time. When comes to pastries, I only started to make savoury ones in recent years. I made quiches/tarts a while ago, like Spinach & Blue Cheese Tart and Cheese & Onion Quiche. They both were really nice and I like to make tarts for lunch from time to time as they are pretty simple and quick to prepare.
Last weekend, I tried for the first time to make pâte feuilletée (puff pastry). Pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) is a light, flaky, unleavened pastry containing several layers of fat which is in solid state. It sounded pretty scary for me at first as I have never made pastry from scratch before. Worse still when I always tell myself that I am still a very beginner in baking.
I took a recipe off the internet and followed every step in making puff pastry. It worked !! But quite time consuming. I want to perfect it so I hope to try making it again next time and show you guys every step in making pâte feuilletée if you are interested! I know that you can easily buy puff pastry from any major supermarkets but the idea of making things on my own does appeal to me very much!
So, what did I do with my puff pastry? To continue with the sumer recipes series, oh, I used it to make cherry tomato and zucchini tart, topped with buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala). Cherry tomatoes are abundant now. I bought lots of them to just eat raw or cook. They are the sweet little gems that I really adore.
Just a few weeks ago, I saw this really nice and easy recipe in one of the food magazines. They have used only cherry tomatoes. But, I thought, I could add zucchini too, to make it more Mediterranean. 
Also, that also makes it really colourful. Oh, I love my food to be colourful!
Cherry tomato and zucchini tart is suitable to be served as lunch or dinner. I guess while the weather is warm and nice like now, light lunch like this sounds like a good idea to me. If you want, you can make this into mini tartlets too. Mini tartlets like these are suitable to be served as pre-entree.
Give this cherry tomato and zucchini tart a try. I think it will be a fantastic idea to serve this easy but yummy recipe for lunch!
Recipe: Tomato and Zucchini Tart (Adapted from Delicious Magazine)
Ingredients:
Plain flour, for dusting
All-butter puff pastry, 500g
Finely chopped, 1 onion,
Fresh thyme leaves, 4 tsp
Olive oil, 4 tbsp
Vine-ripened cherry tomatoes (halved), 600g (about 48)
Baby mozzarella balls, 250g (about 20)
Black olives (pitted and halved), 16
Handful fresh basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp
Method:
1. Lightly flour a work surface. Cut the puff pastry into 4, then roll out to 4 x 18cm squares that are 3mm thick (about the thickness of a pound coin). Place on a lightly floured tray and chill for 5 minutes. Remove and cut out 4 x 16cm circles, then, with a sharp knife, score an indent all around each one, about 1cm in from the edge, to make a border, and chill on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
2. Preheat the oven to 230°C/210°C. In a frying pan over a low heat, soften the onion with the thyme in half the oil for 8 minutes without browning the onion, season, then leave to cool.
3. Take the puff pastries out of the fridge. Spread the onion mixture onto the pastry inside the scored line and top with the halved tomatoes, packed together.
4. Brush the tomatoes and the edges of the pastries with the rest of the olive oil and season. Cook in the oven for 12 minutes.
5. When cooked, remove the tarts from the oven and arrange the mozzarella and olives over the tomatoes. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Garnish with basil and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to serve.
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June 20th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Great recipe!
June 20th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
This looks absolutely delicious! I have been scared to try puff pastry as well… a couple of years ago I tried to make croissants and they totally flopped. So, that has hindered me from wanting to make puff pastry from scratch. I would love to see your step by step guide though, maybe then I would get the guts to try it!
June 20th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Stunning, stunning! The color and textures of this tart is just perfect!! Wow!
June 20th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Your tart is so colourful and nicely presented! Looking forward to your posting about making pâte feuilletée.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Your tart looks amazing! Great photos as always.
Will look forward to your post on puff pastry, it’s something I definitely want to try making one day.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:29 am
That tart looks wonderful! and such mouthwatering shots!
June 21st, 2009 at 2:15 am
What a beautiful tart. I bake a lot but never attempt to make my own puff pastry. Looking forward to your puff pastry posting.
June 21st, 2009 at 3:27 am
Very pretty!!! Like a pizza too!
June 21st, 2009 at 9:17 am
Mike,
Thank you!
Cheri,
To be honest, when comes to baking, I think I have less confidence. But, I guess it’s a great experiment for me to make puff pastry. Stay tuned for the step by step guide!
Nina,
Thanks!!
Food-4tots,
Thanks!! Stay tuned for the making of pâte feuilletée!!
Su-yin,
Thanks for your kind words! Will definitely share the guide in making pâte feuilletée!
peachkins,
Thanks!
Gertrude,
I want to attempt the pig in a blanket! Yours look lovely! Stay tuned for the pâte feuilletée guide!
The little teochew,
Thank you!!
June 21st, 2009 at 10:10 am
Nice recipe! I’ve tried once to do my own “pate feuilletée”… a lot of work and a bad result. So I buy it now! I do myself “pâte brisée” et pâte sablée”, more simple! Your recipe is just what I need, for a summer sunday dinner! I go to the market…
June 21st, 2009 at 12:31 pm
A wonderful tart! Your pictures are beautiful!
Cheers,
Rosa
June 21st, 2009 at 5:53 pm
for lunch? why thank you that will be perfect :p
June 21st, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Gorgeous! Simple and delicious. At a glace, i thought it was pizza =P
June 21st, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Dominique,
Yes, it’s a lot of work to make pâte feuilletée. It’s pretty challenging for me!
Rosa,
Thank you!
Kristin,
pigpigscorner,
Ya, it does look a little bit like pizza. I think my pâte feuilletée still is not puffy enough.. need to improve on that..
June 21st, 2009 at 11:25 pm
It’s true that making pâte feuilletée is time consuming but really worth the effort. No way to compare the taste with a store bought one !
Your tart looks so delicious…
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:53 am
i really like the look of this – it’s colorful and has all my fave flavors!
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
How can you not be a master for baking? I remember some of your wonderful desserts and now you brought us something savory. I am quite a sucker for puff pastry cos it makes cooking/baking much easier :p
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Homemade puff do is quite time consuming but I find so worth it! And all the rolling and folding is a bit theraputic. Thank you for a zucchini recipe…as summer approaches I’ve always got more than I know what to do with. Your pictures are gorgeous.
ps I love Borough – but the prices, ugh!
June 22nd, 2009 at 6:03 pm
That looks like the perfect summer tart! Great photos!
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Vanille,
Thank you! I totally agree that ready made pâte feuilletée is not as nice. I find mine less greasy.
Meeta,
Thank you!
tigerfish,
I really still have a lot to learn! I need to grasp the basics to progress, I reckon. I totally agree with you that puff pastry makes cooking/baking easier.
gastroanthropologist,
Thank you for your compliment! Yes, it is quite a hard work but I think I felt the sense of achievement right after that! I am keen to make more and keep. Aahaha.. yes, I like Borough, but the price is just insane!
Teanna,
Thank you for dropping by and your comment!
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I love love love that ^^!! XOXO
June 24th, 2009 at 5:48 am
Pretty good post. I just came across your blog and wanted to say
that I’ve really liked browsing your posts. Anyway
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon!
June 24th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Looks absolutely delightful. What a great summer dish.
thanks, sharona may
June 25th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Gine,
Thank you!
Mary,
Thank you for dropping by and your kind words! I will more posts on here, so, please stay tuned!
Sharona May,
Thank you!!
July 17th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
What a beautiful tart! I have cherry tomatoes and zucchini growing in my garden and I'm always looking for new recipes. This one sounds delicious!
July 18th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Thanks for dropping by! I am sure the tart will taste even better with home grown cherry tomatoes and zucchini.
August 29th, 2009 at 2:47 am
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