The inspiration for this recipe came from the Fall 2017 issue of Cook Fresh. When I’m in the supermarket checkout line I’m always looking at the tabloid headlines with the latest movie star gossip and the women’s magazines that have pictures of gorgeous desserts and promises that you can lose 15 pounds in 15 days. I’m always in the slowest moving lane at the grocery so I have plenty of time to read. I spotted this Cook Fresh magazine on the very bottom of the rack and it was the only copy left. The vegetable tart was on the cover so I picked it up and put it in my cart. Sold. I modified the recipe somewhat. The real beauty of this is you can use any vegetables you have on hand or just add or omit based on personal preference. These are the ingredients and quantities I used.
Ingredients for Filling:
2 cups of cubed butternut squash
1 cup of thin sliced leeks (white and light green parts only)
1 cup of course chopped sweet bell peppers
1 cup of course chopped cauliflower
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 T of fresh rosemary minced (I only had dried)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
4 oz of prosciutto in bite sized pieces
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
10 oz goat cheese softened
grated asiago
1 egg
Ingredients for the Crust:
1 1/3 cups AP flour
6 oz of cold unsalted butter cubed
6 oz of cold cream cheese cubed
1 tsp kosher salt
2 T cold water
Preheat the oven to 375. Combine all of the vegetables (except the tomatoes) and toss with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Spread the vegetables out in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.
While the vegetables are cooking and cooling prepare your crust. Preheat the oven to 400 once the vegetables are out. Pulse the flour, salt, cream cheese and butter in the food processor until it starts to come together.
If necessary add a little cold water. Put the dough on a generously floured service and knead. Form the dough into a ball.
Roll the dough out into a 16 inch round. Place the round on parchment paper and spread with the softened goat cheese.
Halve the tomatoes and dice the prosciutto. Toss them with the vegetables.
Heap the vegetables and prosciutto on the goat cheese leaving about a two inch border. Sprinkle with a little shredded asiago cheese.
Fold the edges of the dough over the edge of the filling. Whisk together one egg and a tablespoon of water and brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash.
Bake for 35-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Slice and serve with a fresh fruit cup or salad. We had ours with a side of applesauce.
NOTE: I put the goat cheese in the microwave for a few seconds on the defrost setting so that it would spread on the crust more easily.
Any combination of vegetables equaling 5 cups is the perfect proportion (not including the tomatoes). Brussel sprouts, carrots, golden beets, sweet potato, fennel, broccoli…any of those would work. I used nearly triple the goat cheese called for in the original recipe and I thought that was perfect. You can also change up the herbs and use basil, oregano or dill.
The Cook Fresh magazine was a great impulse buy!!!