There was a time not too long ago that someone like me was not able to vote. That’s why I make such a big deal about Election Day. On Election Day, I do the one thing I can to put my best intentions out there and let the universe take over. I vote. On Election Night I like sharing the evening with family and friends, celebrating that we live in a democracy where our voice matters. For the past few elections, part of my celebrating has included enjoying Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart.
This tart is made from puff pastry, making it easy to prepare. It’s perfect for a mid-week dinner. The hardest part is remembering to defrost the puff pastry, which requires about 40 minutes to thaw.
While the puff pastry is thawing, sauté the mushrooms in a skillet with some butter and herbs, and set aside.
When the puff pastry is thawed, roll it out to fit your baking sheet.
Pierce it with a fork, baste it with an egg wash, and then bake it for 10 minutes. Soften the goat cheese a bit in the microwave. When the pastry tart is finished, take it out and spread the softened goat cheese over the entire tart. Then layer the mushrooms over.
Drizzle a little heavy cream over the top, not much, just a tablespoon or so. Bake for about 10 minutes more. When done baking, remove and serve immediately.
I like adding a bit of truffle oil, drizzled on top.
You can serve this tart hot or at room temperature, which makes it an excellent choice for brunches and potlucks. It goes great as a lunch paired with a green salad. On Election Night, I serve this tart as an appetizer, but otherwise, I like it for a light dinner.
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Ingredients
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry thawed (half of 17.3 oz package)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 16 oz button mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup shallots minced (about 4 medium)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp of water to make egg wash
- 5 oz goat cheese softened
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- optional truffle oil
Instructions
- Take out the puff pastry and let thaw for 40 minutes, or until soft and pliable.
- Meanwhile, make the mushroom-shallot mix. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until dry and are starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of the butter and the shallots, and saute until the shallots are soft, about 2 minutes more. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- When puff pastry is thawed, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a 15 x10 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Flour a smooth surface (table top or counter) and rollout the pastry to be a little bit bigger than the baking sheet (about an inch bigger on all sides).
- Place in baking sheet, making sure to pinch the sides of the pastry shell on the sides of baking sheet. The pastry sheet will puff a bit and shrink when cook, so it needs to be pinched into place in order to keep the tart shape.
- Pierce all over with the fork. Use a pastry brush to wipe the entire surface with the egg wash.
- Bake the tart shell for 10-15 minutes, or until golden in color. (Mine took about 10 minutes, but the packaging states 15 minutes).
- Meanwhile, in a glass or microwavable bowl, microwave the goat cheese to soften for spreading, about 1 minute.
- When tart is ready, spread cheese evenly over top of hot tart shell.
- Top with mushroom-shallot mix.
- Sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle with cream.
- (Optional) Drizzle with truffle oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Can serve this hot or at room temperature.
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com.
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