Individual Vegetable Tarts

May 21, 2009

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I have sung the praises of cookbook author Jeanne Lemlin here before.  Up until recently, I owned three of her cookbooks, all of which I love and could not do without.  For Mother’s Day, my sister-in-law bought me the one that was missing from my collection.  It is a fabulous addition.

I have a lot of cookbooks.  A lot.  Whenever I am tempted to buy a new one, I really look through the recipes.  About 90% of the time, I put the book in question back  because I find that the recipes are too similar to things I already have in other books.  What amazes me about Lemlin is this.  Here is an author whose books I use all the time.  You would think there would be no reason for me to have this fourth book.  And you would be wrong.  (This is starting to sound a lot like my justification arguments to my husband.)

Vegetarian Classics houses 300 more recipes, many of which jump off the page.  There are a few that bear a slight resemblance to earlier recipes, but most of them are quite different.  As I sat looking through the book, I knew that this entire week would be devoted to this book.  It has not disappointed so far.

I made these lovely tartlets for my clients Tuesday night.  They were quite simple to make, looked pretty, and were delicious to eat.  I love when something looks like you spent a lot of time on it when in fact it was fairly quick.  These would also make a fabulous appetizer, cut in much smaller rounds and topped with a single slice of potato and a single slice of zucchini.  As an added bonus, the sun-dried tomato pesto that is slathered onto the puff pastry can be used on crostini or tossed with pasta.  I think making a double batch next time might be a good idea.

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Individual Vegetable Tarts
Adapted from Vegetarian Classics
Serves 4

1 sheet (half of a 17-ounce package) frozen puff pastry
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (recipe follows)
1 large Yukon Gold potato, halved, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1.  Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight.

2.  Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to a boil.  drop in the potato slices and cook until tneder but not mushy, about 5 minutes.  Drain and spread out on a plate to cool.

3.  Hea the oil in a large skillet until hot but not somiking.  Fry the zucchini slices until golden on each side.  Remove to a plate and let cool.

4.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into an 11×11 square.  Using a 5 inch cutter or inverted bowl, cut 4 disks from the pastry.  Place the disks on a baking sheet and pierce all over with a fork.  Keep refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the tarts.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

5.  Spread 2 tbsp. pesto on each pastry disk, leaving a 1/2 inch border.  You will have some pesto left over; refrigerate for another use.  Ocver the pesto with some potato slices, then cover the potatoes with zucchini slices arranged in a circle.

6.  Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup loose sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parlsey
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. pine nuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Place the tomatoes in a heat-proof bowl and pour boiling water over them.  Cover bowl with a plate and let sit 10 minutes.  Drain and cool the tomatoes.

2.  In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, garlic, parlsey, basil, salt, and pepper and process until finely ground.  Slowly pour in the oil and process until smooth.  Scrape the pesto into a bowl and stir in the pine nuts and cheese.  If you are using the pesto on pasta, stir in 1/2 cup boiling pasta water to thin it out.



10 Comments »

  1. It is so refreshing to find books with innovative and creative new recipe dieas. Hard to come by these days, it seems like everyone is doing a version of someone else’s recipes!
    These tarts looks delicious, light and healthy! Loving it!

    Comment by Marta — May 21, 2009 @ 4:49 pm

  2. These look great and I love the flavours you combined. Yum!

    Comment by holler — May 21, 2009 @ 9:30 pm

  3. Such a pretty looking tartelettes. Sun dried tomato pesto sounds irresistible!

    Comment by elra — May 22, 2009 @ 12:29 am

  4. Here I am, checking your site again, when I should be going to bed. I haven’t used frozen puff pastry much, so this is a nudge to try it. I’ll be looking for those pics on foodgawker, too :)

    Comment by The Leftoverist — May 22, 2009 @ 5:14 am

  5. Clearly, I’m going to have to check out these cookbooks. The tarts look fantastic. Really great! I love the pictures too.

    Comment by redmenace — May 22, 2009 @ 6:43 pm

  6. The sun-dried tomato pesto sounds great in this! And, you’ve convinced me that I need to add some Lemlin books to my collection.

    Comment by lisaiscooking — May 22, 2009 @ 10:36 pm

  7. I really have to start cooking from her book. Your clients must love your food so much.

    Comment by Hélène — May 23, 2009 @ 6:21 pm

  8. I’ve never heard of Jeanne Lemlin before but now she definitely has my attention, thanks to you! I will have to try and find them in my library. These tarts are gorgeous! Love the sun dried tomato pesto recipe.

    Comment by Ashley — May 25, 2009 @ 5:29 am

  9. They’re gorgeous! I’d be a happy client of yours! I don’t know of this cookbook author, but I’m off to check her out!

    Comment by Lori @ RecipeGirl — May 25, 2009 @ 2:41 pm

  10. Lovely tarts! Puff pastry is some good stuff, isn’t it? I’m bookmarking this recipe, particularly for the sundried tomato pesto. I’m sure it was a star in these tarts, and it could probably be used in hundreds of other applications. I love the idea of zucchini and potatoes together with the tomatoes.

    Comment by Tammy — May 26, 2009 @ 7:51 pm



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