Tomato & Goat's Cheese Tartlets
I love goat's cheese and I love tomatoes! So, when I found myself hunting for a simple yet delicious lunch recently, I knew that these would be perfect. Not only are they simple to make, these little tartlets are filled with simple flavours and that is what I love. Infused with hearty specks of thyme, the tangy goat's cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes rest happily in the embrace of cloud-like puff pastry. Perfect for light lunches in these gloriously sunny months.
Makes 8
What you'll need:
2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry
300g cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
150g goat's cheese
Bunch thyme
Salt and pepper
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 200C and grease a muffin pan well using butter or oil.
Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 even squares and push each square into a muffin hole. Chop off any excess and press down any folds. Prick with a fork multiple times and pop them into the oven for 15 minutes.
Combine the tomatoes with the oil, red wine vinegar and a good lashing of salt and pepper. Set aside for now.
After 15 minutes, remove pastry cases from the oven and use a spoon to squash any puffiness out of the base and edges. Press the spoon a bit harder on the edges as this will reduce any further puffiness around the sides. Bake for another 5 minutes or until just coloured. Remove from oven and then carefully remove each case from the pan and place onto a baking tray. (You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to get them out.) If needed, use the spoon to flatten any big air bubbles.
Crumble an even amount of goat's cheese into each tart shell and sprinkle a few thyme leaves on top. Divide the tomato evenly between the tarts and press them in lightly so they don't fall out. Spoon the remaining liquid from the tomatoes over top of the tarts. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes have shrivelled a little.
Sprinkle with thyme and enjoy!
