Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

We had the distinct pleasure in sharing in my friend Karen's  birthday celebration last weekend.

I wanted to help out a little by contributing an appetizer.  So, what to make for such a special event?  I like to think locally first, seasonal as well, and then review the pantry for what I already have on hand.

Well, what I had on hand was cherry tomatoes,  some goat cheese, phyllo dough, kalamata olives, and garden herbs.  I took a look through my many cookbooks and found nothing enticing, so I hit the internet.  There I found the perfect recipe for my ingredients on hand, Oven-dried Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese and Black Olives. It was originally printed in Bon Appetit in August 2005.

As I have reported in previous posts, oven roasting really concentrates the flavor of vegetables. This is particularly true of tomatoes.  They become very sweet, almost candy like.

The original recipe calls for a puff pastry sheet. Although I had some in the free

zer, I thought the phyllo would be easier when making this as an appetizer for a crowd.  I doubled the filling ingredients to cover the 10 X 15 size of the phyllo.  If you choose to use puff pastry, you can decrease the filling or make two round tarts.

Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

(Makes enough for appetizers for about 20 or so.)

1 pound cherry tomatoes (can substitute sliced roma tomatoes)

olive oil

3 garlic gloves minced

2 tablespoons fresh herbs-chopped and divided

2 cup shredded mozzarella

16 ounces goat cheese

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup kalamata olives- sliced

4 tables spoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

15 sheets phyllo dough

6 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven 300 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Drizzle with olive oil. Place tomatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Roast in oven until the tomatoes begin to shrink and dry out. About and hour.  As soon as you remove from the oven, sprinkle with garlic and 

1 tablespoon herbs, toss lightly, let cool.

In the mean time, mix the mozzarella and  goat cheese together. Add eggs one at a time, stirring after each egg.  Slowly add the cream and 1 tablespoon herbs. Stir until smooth.

Cover a 10 X 15 baking sheet with foil. Brush the surface with melted butter.

Once tomatoes have cooled.  Take the phyllo from the refrigerator and work with the sheets covered with plastic wrap or a tea towel,  they dry out quickly.  Working with speed, place a sheet of phyllo in the 

baking sheet.  Working from the edges inward, brush with melted butter.  Place another phyllo sheet on top.

  Brush with butter.  Repeat until all 15 sheets of phyllo are in place and buttered. 

 Carefully pour the cheese mixture on top of the dough. 

Evenly distribute the tomatoes and olives over the cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  

Bake for about 35 minutes.

Cut into 2" squares. Serve warm or room temp.