Caramelized onions go great on salads, in tarts, on pizza, crackers, casseroles, and just about anything else. They're very easy to make, and so is this savory goat cheese tart. I finally broke in my larger, circular tart pan and came up with a pastry shell using almond flour and Parmesan cheese.
Tomatoes are overflowing on farmers' market tables. There are so many varieties I can't decide which type to purchase, so I buy an assortment of colors and shapes - mostly the cherry and slicing types. But I don't buy too many because I also have my first crop this summer! They are beautiful, and have survived an early encounter with a deer that trimmed a few stalks and stems. The Seattle area's hot summer has certainly aided my first attempt at growing edibles.
Goat Cheese Tart {grain free}
Ingredients
Pastry shell {fits a 9-inch round tart pan}
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups almond flour
- 1.5 cups Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon water or enough to help the dough stick together
Filling
- 2 tomatoes cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup goat cheese
- 1 red onion trimmed and diced
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Tart shell
- For the tart shell, combine the flour, cheese, and salt, and blend well. I process the cheese and flour together because I usually have sliced or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Add just enough water so the cheese and flour stick together in a ball.
- Now to place the dough in the tart shell. You can either roll the shell out between two pieces of parchment paper or another non-stick surface, or you can do what I usually do, which is mold the dough into the shell with my fingers.
- Bake the shell at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, or just before it begins to brown.
- Cool the tart shell for a few minutes.
Filling
- To caramelize the onions, place them in a frying pan with a pinch of salt and enough olive oil to coat them and the pan completely, and then some extra. Cook on a low to medium flame for about 15 minutes, or until they are clear and starting to turn sweet and a bit gooey.
- To prepare the tomatoes, slice them and place them on parchment paper (or a non-stick mat), sprinkle lightly with salt and a light coat of olive oil (I spray oil over them), and bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can heat them up a frying pan in the same way you caramelized the onions. You could even cook the tomatoes and onion together, but I like separating the flavors in the tart.
- Layer the caramelized onions on the bottom of the tart shell, then the tomatoes, and then the goat cheese. Sprinkle the top with pine nuts, and bake the tart for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the edges are slightly browned.
- This tart tastes great warm, or at room temperature, and is easy to store in the refrigerator and reheat. I reheat slices at 325 degrees F for 5 minutes. It goes great with a salad.
Hazel says
This looks great! Do you think I could substitute the fresh tomatoes with sundried tomatoes?
Erica says
Yes, for sure.
Christine says
Great! Thanks for the tip. I'll have to try making this sometime soon 🙂
Erica says
Yes, Christine, you can use a different hard cheese, or a softer cheese, which will produce a softer crust. I haven't come up with something yet that is not cheese, unless you just use a regular crust. The crust I recently made with the chicken pot pie (here: https://comfybelly.wpengine.com/2009/09/chicken-pot-pie.html) would work, and will become crunchy when baked for a while on a low temperature.
Christine says
This looks delish!
Can the parmesan cheese be substituted with anything else?
Erica says
For ideas on where to get almond flour, see https://comfybelly.wpengine.com/2009/01/the-scoop-on-almond-flour.html.
Erica says
Thanks for the kudos.
Beth, I'm not sure, but it just might work with regular flour. Usually a lot of butter is used with the flour, but the Parmesan cheese has a lot of fat and protein in it to hold it all together. Let me know if you try it!
Beth says
Not sure where to get my hands on almond flour. Could I use regular flour?
Stacie K says
This looks amazing! I can't wait to try making crust with almond flour.
Karen says
Beautiful pictures!!