Rustic Tart with Roasted Peppers & Tomatoes

One of my goals when I started this blog was to learn how to make a savory tart. It seems like the perfect thing to do with seasonal vegetables. I studied several different types of tart crusts and galette crusts. Then, I came across a recipe that used puff pastry for the crust. Yes, puff pastry, that stuff you can find in the freezer section of almost any grocery store. Thaw it, roll it out the way you like, and you have a nice buttery crust.

I have been reading The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider. I really like it because each recipe starts with a basic recipe and then there are several things you can do with that basic recipe. I love learning new techniques and then improvising; so, I am really enjoying this cookbook.

One of the master recipes is for slow cooked tomatoes. I had some tomatoes in my box and so I sprinkled salt, pepper, olive oil, and a bit of sugar on them and cook them at 325 degrees for about 2 hours.

Another master recipe was for magic peppers. These are red and/or yellow peppers cooked at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. The thing that make the peppers magic is the heat and also the seasoning. Ms. Schneider recommends the following spices singly or in combination: fresh thyme or rosemary; fennel, cumin, or cracked coriander seeds; sweet-picante paprika or smoky pimenton de la Vera from Spain.

I had some Hungarian sweet paprika so I sprinkled some on the peppers along with olive oil and salt and pepper.

I assembled the tarts -- adding a bit of sliced shallots and an extra sprinkling of olive oil and kosher salt on top. I baked the tarts at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

And, then I had these delicious tarts. This is a really easy recipe and it looks like you had to take a cooking class to learn how to make it. I think to simplify this recipe you could roast the tomatoes and peppers together at 450 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Serve it with a basic green salad. And, look, it's like you're dining at the Cafe at Chez Panisse without having to travel to Berkeley.

Rustic Tart with Roasted Peppers & Tomatoes

Adapted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider

1 pound ripe tomatoes

A pinch of sugar

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

4 large red or yellow peppers, or a combination

Black pepper

Seasonings, singly or in combination, such as fresh thyme or rosemary; fennel, cumin, or cracked coriander seeds; sweet-picante paprika or smoky pimenton de la Vera from Spain

1/2 of a 14 ounce package of frozen puff pastry dough

1 shallot, thinly sliced

NOTE: I think you can roast the tomatoes and peppers together at 450 degrees for 30 minutes and then add them to the tart. This would be a good way to turn this into a weekday dinner.

1. Thaw 1/2 of the dough in the package according to instructions on the container, preferably in the refrigerator for several hours. Return the rest of the dough to the freezer for later use.

2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle them with sugar, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. Roast for about 2 hours, until they have lost most of their liquid and are just beginning to brown. Take tomatoes out and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Chop each pepper into four pieces and remove the seeds, stem, and white membrane. Toss peppers with olive oil, salt, pepper and seasoning of choice. Arrange on a baking sheet skin down. Roast for about 30 minutes, until peppers are tender and slightly brown around the edges.

4. While peppers are roasting, cut puff pastry into 2 rectangles. Roll each piece into a square. Place the squares on a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator until vegetables are ready.

5. When vegetables are ready, take puff pastry out of the refrigerator. Lower oven heat to 400 degrees. Place vegetables in the puff pastry. Top each tart with shallots, a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil, and some kosher salt. Fold about 1/2 of the edges of the pastry over the veggies. Back in oven until the pastry is deeply brown, about 25 minutes.