Though I had already spent part of my morning working out at the gym, I looked forward to meeting two of my girlfriends for a walk later in the day. It had been months since the last time; the longer days means the return of our routine of meeting once or twice a week, not only to get some exercise together but to catch up with each other, too. We all have a workout schedule apart from the weekly walks/jogs but having friends with you makes any workout less of a grind. What was even better was the chance to continue our conversation over wine and dinner at a neighborhood hangout. I don’t think any of us expected to have an extended dinner but we had so much fun that we didn’t head home until 11 pm.
I meant to share this simple appetizer last night. It was something I quickly put together out of a need to use some leftover ingredients from entertaining a friend the night before. I thawed a sheet of frozen puff pastry intending to make this easy dessert but in the end I decided to serve just the fruit and mascarpone cheese.
In the time it took to preheat the oven I was able to assemble these little tarts. This would be a recipe to keep in mind for when you need a warm appetizer that would appeal to most tastes. It’s essentially a Caprese salad on a warm, buttery crust. Though I didn’t do it here, a little fig-balsamic dressing would be nice served alongside this tart but it’s not absolutely necessary.
Have a wonderful Easter weekend! I’ll be celebrating with my family and have been assigned dessert duty. I’ll be sharing something sweet with you soon.
Caprese Tart
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
- 5-6 small tomatoes
- Mozzarella cheese
- Fresh Basil leaves
- Parmesan cheese a couple of tablespoons grated
- Olive oil for brushing
- 1 egg for egg wash
- dried basil optional
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 375℉. While you wait, prepare the crust.
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Set the thawed puff pastry sheet on a work surface that's lightly dusted with flour. Roll it out just to thin it a little then divide it into thirds. The Pepperidge Farm pastry sheets are folded in thirds so I just used the folds as my guide. I used two pieces to make long tarts here and made trim pieces out of the third piece but this is not necessary. You can use the third piece to make a third tart. If you do make the trim, just cut 1 centimeter wide pieces and set them on top of the cut sheets. Brush the surface lightly with olive oil and pierce the inside with a fork to prevent too much puffing. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the pastry is slightly golden.
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Next, sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on the pre-baked sheets then layer the tomato and mozzarella slices in an alternating pattern. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of salt and pepper (and dried basil if using) then brush the exposed with pastry (mainly the trim) with an egg wash (one egg with a little water). Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pastry is golden. Cut in small pieces and serve warm.
How perfect for the springtime! Just delicious!!
wauw, YUM! Looks very good! 🙂
– Julia, OneKitchen
This is just shouting SUMMER to me and I’m so ready! It’s beautiful and so delicious looking!
This fresh, vibrant, tart is calling to me! (I just inhaled several cookies!) Maybe I need to go on a walk of my own – if only I had this to look forward to. 😀
Happy Easter, Jean!
What a perfectly, fresh and quick appetizer! It’s lovely, Jean! Have a wonderful Easter with your family…I’ll be looking forward to your sweet treat that you make for them!
I could easily eat this tart for dinner every night! This is a winner, Jean! 🙂
Pretty colors Jean! Love this simple appetizer 😉 Have a wonderful weekend and a fabulous Easter 😉
Hi Jean! It’s wonderful that you have those walking slash exercise meetings with your friends. I love to go out for long walks and can’t wait for the weather to start allowing it again. Your tart looks amazing! I could eat it with a salad or soup for dinner. Have a great weekend! xx
What a good exerciser you are. 🙂 Good job!
And these looks so lovely. Light, pretty, and insanely delicious. Oh and simple. A big bonus!
Oh, I LOVE this!!! It could easily be my dinner (or lunch or breakfast!). I love anything “Caprese.” Have a wonderful Easter, Jean….and happy anniversary to YOUR blog!!! xo
I will have to save this recipe idea for when I’m inviting people over and want something new to make!
Jean, these look so tasty!
Gonna try this appetizer tonight. But definitely need something more solid after a morning workout!
I love going for a walk with my friends and then coming back to my house to stuff our faces!! 😀
My favorite salad in tart form – YES, PUHLEASE!!!
Delicious looking tart Jean, perfect for the a light lunch or appetizer. Hope you had a wonderful Easter,
Love this pizza idea, Jean. Elegant and so delicious. Your lucky friends;)
What a great idea for a tart!
Love working out with friends. I have 2 friends I meet with on a weekly basis to go on walks with. So nice!
This is my kind of tart! Anything caprese is a winner in my book. Hope you had a great time with your buddies – always special when you can catch up and just simply hang out. Hope your Easter was great!!!
Just a gorgeous tart all around! I am eagerly awaiting spring so I can make gorgeous, seasonal tarts like these! You have inspired me!
Jean, I just love these!
Looks very good!
These were easy to make and consumed quickly by my bookclub sisters. I added strips of salami and substituted arugula for basil since I didn’t have it. A tip I learned was lightly scouring a 1/4” border along all sides. This created a raised edge without having to build it with trim pieces.
Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, Lily. I love your variation for this tart and the tip about scoring the border. It’s brilliant! So glad you liked this recipe and thanks so much for the feedback!