Easy Puff Pastry Tarts with Vegetables and Feta

When we think of tarts, our mind often goes to the sweet variety that we might have for dessert.  While some favorite vegetables are still in season and still plentiful, however, my mind goes straight (and without any hesitation) to its savory counterpart, and in particular, to easy puff pastry tarts!

A late, unexpected crop of summer vegetables in my mostly neglected backyard garden had me thinking of ways to use them.  Rummaging through my refrigerator and freezer, I found a package of frozen puff pastry.  The package instructions indicated that the puff pastry needed only to rest for an hour on the countertop to defrost, which was perfect, as I could use the time to prep the vegetables.

The ingredients for the topping

The vegetables I use for this recipe are:  zucchini, yellow squash, onion and tomato.  In order to make this tart super tasty and delicious, I take one extra step:  cooking the vegetables first (except for the tomato, of course).  This is an important step because the baking time is otherwise not long enough to ensure that the vegetables will be fully cooked when added to the puff pastry.  Besides, if you just season your vegetables and then place them on the puff pastry, your result will be a wet dough, because the salt on the vegetables draws out their moisture.  If you have the time, you can also roast or grill your vegetables, giving them an additional smoky flavor.  If not, a skillet worked just fine for me!

The puff pastry

Once the puff pastry is defrosted, just unroll it and cut each piece into the shape you want.  Round or square or rectangle, any shape you want.

I used a small bowl and a sharp knife to make two circles, and then formed two smaller rectangles from the remaining puff pastry so as not to waste a thing.

Once you cut the puff pastry into the shapes you want, score a border around each one and then, prick the area inside the border to prevent the tarts from puffing up too much.

Variations:

For the toppings, I used caramelized onions, crumbled Greek Feta, the sautéed vegetables, and, tomato slices. You could also use some pesto as a base, instead of the onions, and your favorite cheese, instead of the Feta. For the fall, a combination of mixed mushrooms, fresh thyme and gorgonzola would be great as well as roasted butternut squash with sage.

Easy Puff Pastry Tarts with Vegetables and Feta

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

55 mins

 

An easy and delicious tart with an all-butter puff pastry and perfectly ripe, late summer vegetables.

Author: Marilena Leavitt

Recipe type: Vegetarian lunch

Cuisine: Greek

Serves: 4 round tarts

Ingredients

• 1 package (2 sheets) frozen Organic Fillo Factory All-Butter puff pastry, defrosted
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 sweet onion
• --- extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• 8 oz. Greek Feta cheese, crumbled
• --- sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• --- Greek oregano & flaky sea salt for topping

Instructions

1. Defrost the puff pastry in the refrigerator for two hours or for one hour on the counter.
2. Prep the vegetables: slice the zucchini and the squash into thin slices and set them aside on paper towels to absorb the extra moisture. Slice the onion into thin rings and set them aside. Slice the tomato thinly and place on paper towels, topped with another layer of paper towels to ensure that most of the moisture is absorbed. When ready to use, slice each tomato slice into quarters.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
4. Gently unfold the puff pastry from its package. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface and place a sheet of the puff pastry over the flour. Sprinkle additional flour on top. Using an inverted bowl, cut each sheet of puff pastry into 2 rounds, about 5”-6” (from the remaining puff pastry of each sheet, I also cut out two smaller rectangles). Place the pastry rounds on the prepared sheet pans and refrigerate while you work on the filling.
5. Heat a large skillet to medium hot. Add some olive oil to coat and, once heated, add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and light brown. Remove the onions from the skillet and set aside.
6. To the same heated skillet, add the zucchini slices, season with salt and pepper and sauté on both sides until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Repeat this process with the yellow squash, making sure not to overcrowd the skillet. Once done, remove from the skillet and let them cool.
7. Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and, using a sharp pairing knife, score a border around each round. Prick the area inside the border with a small fork to prevent the inside part from puffing up too much. Top each round with the onion, then the Feta cheese, and the slices of the vegetables in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle the tops with some oregano and a drizzle of olive oil, then bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow the tarts to cool slightly on the pan before removing. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

For a rich flavor, it is important to use a good quality all-butter puff pastry - I used organic Fillo Factory puff pastry, which produced nice layers when baked.
The cooking time depends on your oven - just watch the color of the tart and adjust accordingly.
The tarts are best eaten on the same day. Leftovers can be reheated in a 325°F. oven.

3.5.3240

These easy puff pastry tarts are airy and light, with a rich flavor. If you don’t want to make individual tarts, you can even use the entire puff pastry sheet and cut it into small squares to serve as appetizers for a dinner party. It is amazing what a box of puff pastry can do!

For this post, I collaborated with Fillo Factory, and I created this recipe to highlight their new product that has just reached the markets:  organic, all-butter puff pastry! 

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