A Light Lunch : Goat Cheese & Tomato Tarts

My sister is the pickiest eater I know. She is getting better as she gets older, but her specific food likes/dislikes are known to drive the sanest of people a little crazy: "I don't like pasta, but I like linguine." and " I only like chocolate chip cookies, nothing else." that is only a small sampling of her many "foodisms" , which make me loco, especially when she is my house guest! Over the years I have learned not to cater to it, if she wants something she can go to the store and get it herself, but it is always nice when she actually likes the food I make. It never ceases to surprise me when she bites into something I have cooked and instead of making a face says "Lyndie this is pretty good."

Last Sunday afternoon when my sister was visiting, I made these for lunch, and they were a big hit all around, not a bite left. The flavors are light, summery, and fresh, balancing each other out and not overwhelming at all. I know it isn't tomato season yet, but there is a vendor at my farmer's market who sells these big, hydroponic, beefsteak tomatoes. They aren't quite up to the late summer standard, but they are ripe and juicy, just the thing you want to taste after a fresh tomato deprived winter. My sister called these "pizzas" even after I corrected her in my big sister voice that they were "tarts". But who am I kidding? Potato, patata.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart
Serves 4
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets) I prefer Trader Joe's Artisan brand
2 large sweet or yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese
1 large tomato cut into 4 slices (about 1/4 inch thick)
3 tablespoons basil, julienned
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little more for sprinkling
Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler

Roll out a puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry out into about an 11 x 11 square. using a 6 inch wide circle, saucer, or other round object as a guide (I used a salad plate) cut two circles out from the puff pastry. Repeat with the 2nd sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place circles on two sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This part is important, you don't want the pastry dough to be warm or it won't rise properly!)

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over med/med high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Saute for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are soft and almost all the moisture is gone from the skillet. Add salt, pepper, thyme and the wine. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, score a 1/4 inch wide border around each pastry circle. Make pricks inside the inner circle of the scored border of the puff pastry with a fork. Divide the grated Parmesan cheese into 4 , sprinkling the cheese on the inside of each scored border of the puff pastry circles. Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions on each pastry circle. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Sprinkle each tart with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Shave pieces of Parmesan on top of each tart. (About 5 to 6 shards).

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Serve!