Harissa Goat Cheese And Herb Tart Recipes

GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, put the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter into large dice, add to the bowl, and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, add the ice water all at once and process until the dough becomes crumbly. Don't overprocess. Dump the dough out on a floured board, gather it loosely into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off the excess dough. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil and fit it, butter side down, into the tart pan. Fill the foil with rice or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil from the tart shell, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and saute the shallots over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.
• Scatter the cooked shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over the shallots to fill the shell (if the shell has shrunk, there may be leftover filling). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Find a small, wide-mouth canning jar or small glass vase (3 1/2 inches in diameter by 4 inches high), just large enough to hold the two goat cheeses on top of each other with a little room to spare. Cut each cheese in half horizontally, making 2 rounds from each. (A piece of dental floss makes this easier.)
• Place half of the first disk flat in the jar, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then with 1/2 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon basil, and a few red pepper flakes, and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Place another disk of cheese on top and repeat the seasonings, herbs, and oil. Continue with the remaining cheese disks, piling one on top of the other with oil and seasonings in between. When all the disks are stacked and seasoned, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Serve at room temperature with bread or crackers for people to help themselves.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 10 or 11-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Prick dough all over with a fork and chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake tart shell on a baking sheet in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until almost cooked through but still pale.
• In a food precessor blend cheeses, yolks, flour, and butter until smooth. Stir in chopped herbs and pour filling into tart shell. Bake tart 20 minutes, or until filling is just set. Sprinkle tart with herb leaves and continue baking until filling and crust are pale golden. Cool tart in pan on a rack and remove rim. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

MUSHROOM, HERB, AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Lay out pastry squares on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden, about 14 minutes. Remove; let settle and cool.
• Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté mushrooms until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs.
• Divide mixture among pastry squares, dot with goat cheese, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Cut tarts into 3" squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.