Savory Goat Cheese And Pear Tart Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and spray four (4-inch) fluted nonstick tart pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut 4 circles of puff pastry 1-inch larger than pans; press onto the bottom and sides of each pan. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onions and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until very soft and caramelized, stirring frequently. Beat goat cheese, cream cheese, egg yolk and thyme in a small bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy; season to taste with salt and pepper. Place equal amounts of onions in each lined tart pan then spread equal amounts of cheese mixture over onions. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove tarts from pans and cook for 5 minutes more on a baking sheet. Let cool slightly. To serve, top with fig slices and drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar as desired. Garnish with thyme leaves.

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.

Steps:

• Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates and top with the goat's cheese.
• Mix together the pears, walnuts and watercress.
• Blend the lemon juice and oil together, then toss into the salad ingredients.
• Serve on top of the cheese.

Steps:

• In a small skillet, dry roasted pecans over medium heat for 1 to 5 minutes; stirring frequently. Finely chop.
• Meanwhile, arrange ½ cup salad greens on each of eight plates; set aside.
• Cut pears in half lengthwise. With a melon baler, remove seeds and make a small, round cavity in each pear half.
• Cut cheese into eight pieces; shape each into a ball. Roll in pecans and place one in each pear cavity. Arrange pears on lettuce.
• Pour vinegar into a small bowl; add sugar, whisking until dissolved.
• Add oil in a fine stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Drizzle evenly over pears; sprinkle with any remaining pecans.

Steps:

• Roll out pie crust on a lightly floured surface to a 12" round. Transfer to tart pan and press onto bottom and up sides. Bake crust according to package instructions. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Cut off top 1 1/2" of asparagus tips; reserve. Slice stalks into 1/4" rounds. Cut white bulbs from spring onions; trim and quarter (halve if using scallions). Slice pale-green parts into 1/4" pieces. Toss asparagus tips and spring onion bulbs in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on prepared sheet; roast, turning once, until onions begin to brown and asparagus is bright green and tender, 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced asparagus and pale-green parts of spring onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and asparagus is bright green and tender, 6-8 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan. Spread evenly over bottom of tart crust.
• Whisk cheese and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in eggs. Pour over vegetables. Scatter asparagus tips and spring onion bulbs over.
• Bake tart until edges of crust are golden brown and filling is set, 20-22 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
• Remove sides of pan. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.