150.4...Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart

Tuesday night was book club and I was the host. I came up with a pretty yummy menu but the star of the show was the Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart.

Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart (Serves 6)

Recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, 1/2-inch diced

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, unpeeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (by hand or mandoline)

2 tablespoons good olive oil, divided

8 ounces plain creamy goat cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions:

1. Place the flour, 3/4 tsp. of salt, and the butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse 12 to 14 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the processor running, pour the vinegar and ice water through the feed tube and continue to process and pulse until the dough just comes together. Dump out on a floured board, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the zucchini in a colander set over a plate. Toss it with 2 tsp. of salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Spread the zucchini out on a clean dish towel, roll it up, and squeeze gently to remove some of the liquid. Put the zucchini slices into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. With a fork, mash together the goat cheese, thyme, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and set aside.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough out on a floured board to an 11-inch circle (see note below) and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the dough with the goat cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Lay the zucchini slices in tightly overlapping circles, starting at the very edge of the pastry (the zucchini with shrink when it bakes). Continue overlapping circle of zucchini until the whole tart is covered. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Cut in wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Note: To make an 11-inch circle, roll the dough to 12 or 13 inches in diameter, fold it in quarters, and trim the edge with a sharp knife. When you unfold the pastry, it will be a circle.

Printable Recipe 

On Monday night I defrosted some pesto and added it to some linguine for dinner:

Tuesday’s breakfast:

I skipped the gym again to give my back a break. I took the kids to school and went to a Phillis Carey cooking class. The class was “Sensational Shrimp”. 

The first recipe was New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp with Crusty Bread:

The sauce was basically butter and was incredible. Dipping the bread in the sauce was the best part.

The second recipe was Italian Shrimp and Grits with Pancetta, Roasted Peppers and Capers:

Loved this! The cheesy grits really made the dish!

Next up was Asian Shrimp Risotto with Snap Peas, Carrots, Baby Bok Choy and Sesame Seeds:

This was unique and yummy! Loved the flavors!

The next recipe was Greek Shrimp Saganaki with Tomatoes, Fresh Dill, Kalamata Olives and Feta with Greek Rice Pilaf:

Another winner! Besides the olives, I loved all the flavors!

Dessert was Strawberry Scone Shortcake with Fresh Blueberries and Cream:

Loved this too. Actually really light and not too sweet!

I brought the kids home from school and set up for book club. 

Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart:

 Fig & Goat Cheese Bruschettas (recipe to come):

Quinoa Tabbouleh with Feta:

Dessert was a fun platter of different goodies including Outrageous Brownies (recipe to come):

Yesterday’s breakfast:

After I took the kids to school, I went to the gym to see if my back would agree with the treadmill. All was well and I got a good workout in. I got some stuff done around the house. Lunch was leftover Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, hummus, veggies and ranch dressing.

I pulled some bolognese sauce out of the freezer, sautéed some veggies and made some penne and boom, dinner was done! 

 

A quick salad to go with it: 

Today’s breakfast:

I took the kids to school then went to spin class at the gym. 

I met a couple of friends at Sweetfin for lunch. I seriously love this place. 

 Tonight is a chill night at home. It’s almost the weekend!

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