Ethel's Old Thyme Goat's Cheese and Tomato Tart

Ethel’s Old Thyme Goat’s Cheese and Tomato Tart

Serves	6
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	25 minutes
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish, Snack, Starter
Misc	Child Friendly, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Valentines day
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A delectable crisp tart with Somerset Goat's Cheese, fresh tomatoes and thyme - this is perfect for a main course, light lunch, picnic or also served as a starter. Serve this Goat's Cheese and Tomato Thyme Tart with some Red Onion Marmalade on the side and a Balsamic and Olive Oil drizzle.

Ingredients

Tart

250g ready made puff pastry (I used a 500g Jus-Rol block, and cut it in half)
100g herb and garlic cream cheese (I used Boursin cheese)
100g Capricorn soft goat's cheese (cut into thin wedges/slices)
4 to 5 large vine tomatoes (cut into thin slices)
salt and pepper, to season
extra virgin olive oil
scented fresh thyme

Drizzle

Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil (to serve)

Note

Directions

Step 1	Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F and line a large pizza tray with greaseproof paper.
Step 2	Roll out the puff pastry to a large round, about 12" in diameter, or a size to fit your pizza tray. Bring the sides of the puff pastry up all the way around to form a crust and then prick the base all over with a fork. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until pale golden brown and puffed up. Remove from the oven.
Step 3	Push the centre of the pastry down gently with the back of a spoon, and gently spread the herb and garlic cream cheese over the base, inside the edges of the tart.
Step 4	Starting with a slice of tomato and then a slice of cheese, overlap them slightly and arrange in a concentric circle all around the tart - you should be able to two rows and then finish off with a tomato slice in the middle of the tart.
Step 5	Season to taste with salt and pepper, drizzle a little olive oil over the top and then scatter some fresh scented thyme leaves over the tart. Put back in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 180C/360F and bake for a further 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has started to melt and the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes,
Step 6	Serve warm with a mixture of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil as a drizzle and some fresh thyme leaves scattered over the top. Wonderful with a large green or mixed salad and some Somerset red onion marmalade on the side.