I cannot believe it has been almost 2 weeks since I posted. I have never gone that long. To say that the last two weeks have been stressful is an understatement. But I have survived, and I have returned. This week’s recipe is worth the wait.

Recently I was invited to a Saturday night cocktail party. I had been to the farmer’s market that day, and had come home with heirloom tomatoes, green onions, and fresh ricotta. I had frozen puff pastry that I had made previously (and will post this week). I did a quick Google search and came up with this recipe from the Washington Post for Fresh tomato and ricotta tart. I thawed out the puff pastry and set to work mixing ricotta and slicing tomatoes. I had a large yellow and a large red tomato. They were both a little on the wet side. I laid them out on paper towels to dry a little while I rolled out the puff pastry and mixed the cheese.

This was a very quick, easy tart. You could certainly use frozen puff pastry from the store, although this recipe from The Art and Soul of Baking was quite easy. The only problem was that I only made one. I figured, since there would be all sorts of other food, one would be enough. I barely got the plate on the table before the tart was gone. It was so good, I made it again a week later.

Fresh Tomato Ricotta Tart
Adapted from the Washington Post
Serves 6 for appetizers

1/2 lb puff pastry (fresh, or thawed if frozen)
1 large tomato (about a pound) or 2 small tomatoes of different colors
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used marjoram and sage)
2 tbsp sliced green onions, just the white part
Cracked black pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉
2. Roll out the puff pastry to a 9 x 9 square. Mark the outer 1 inch of the pastry all the way around the square using a sharp knife, making a series of diagonal hash marks. Prick the center portion of dough all over with a fork.
3. Slice the tomato thinly, and then in half. I used 2 different colored tomatoes for contrast.
4. Dry the tomatoes with paper towel
5. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, half the parmesan cheese, and the herbs
6. Spread the cheese mixture over the puff pastry, avoiding the hashed area
7. Lay the tomatoes on the ricotta, overlapping the slices and alternating colors
8. Sprinkle the green onions over the tomatoes
9. Sprinkle the remainder of the parmesan cheese over the tart. Season with peppers to taste
10. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the cheese is melted
11. Let cool for 5-10 minutes prior to slicing. Serve warm