Rustic Tomato Tart

I remember when I happened upon this recipe, I was chatting on the phone about food with my hungry, expectant sister and described this recipe to her. She was so excited that she had all of the ingredients on hand as I read it to her. While she made it, I was left salivating and dreaming about this delectable tart. On my next trip to the grocery store, I picked up everything I needed and my friend, Lisa, and I whipped a couple of these up along with my peach basil pizza one evening after a long day at work. Today, my tomato plants in my garden are heavy with tomatoes that I hope will ripen soon and I've been daydreaming about this delicious tart so I can make this again soon. 

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe red and yellow tomatoes cored and cut into slices 1/8 in thick

salt

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

8 by 10 inch rectangle of frozen puff pastry, cut in half and thawed (in the fridge)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

4 Tbsp grated hard cheese

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Olive oil for drizzling

Position rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400F. Place the tomato slices on paper towels, season with salt, and let drain 30-60 min. Do NOT skip this step, it is vital as you don't want the juices from the tomatoes to make the crust soggy.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic and butter. Place the puff pastry rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with the garlic butter and season with salt, leaving a 1/4 inch border.

Sprinkle crust with mozzarella and 2 Tbsp Parmesan. 

Arrange tomato slices on top. 

Sprinkle remaining Parmesan. 

Bake until golden  25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil. Serve right away.

Peach Basil Pizza

I made this delicious pizza last fall when the peaches were perfectly ripe and I was still harvesting basil from my garden. The recipe fell in my lap and I thought it was the perfect opporutnity to use some of the fresh ingredients that I had around. It turned out absolutely delicious and when I received a bag full of basil in my bountiful basket this week, I longed for some juicy ripe peaches. It must be spring time, cause I'm already looking forward to the yumminess that comes from fresh summertime fruits. I'll share today and you can pin or bookmark for future reference. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread, sliced in half length-wise
2 tsp olive oil
1 dash sea salt
4 ounces, sliced Brie or Mozzarella cheese
3 whole ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh basil

Instructions:
Place bread on a baking sheet and brush olive oil over each half. Sprinkle with a dash fo sea salt. Top each half with cheese and peaches.

Place panin the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and let broil for 30 seconds or until the cheese gets a tiny bit brown and bubbly.

While pizzas are baking, place vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes or so).

Drizzle balsamic reduction evenly over pizza and top with basil. Cut pizza into slices and serve.