Puff Pastry Goat Cheese Heirloom Tomato Tart

1 Sheet Puff Pastry - Thawed 40 minutes
1/2 lb Mini Heirloom tomatoes - Cut in 1/2
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tbsp Salt
1/4 tbsp Pepper
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
5 oz Goat Cheese - Room Temp
4 oz. Mascarpone Cheese - Room Temp
4 Large Garlic Cloves - Thinly Sliced
1/4 Red Onion - Thinly Sliced
2 tbsp Capers
1 tbsp Basil - Thinly Sliced

In a bowl add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, evoo and mix to combine.  Let marinate for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry and place on a baking sheet lined w/ parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.  Roll the edges in about 1/2 inch to form a border.

In a bowl combine the goat cheese and mascarpone cheese.  Spread on the puff pastry.  Divide the garlic slices along the cheese mixture.  Add the red onion, tomatoes and capers, spreading out evenly.  Drizzle the puff pastry w/ the marinade.

Place the puff pastry in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crust becomes golden and topping is just starting to brown.  Sprinkle w/ the basil, let cool about 10 minutes then slice and serve.  Can also be served room temperature.  Enjoy.

Eggplant Parmesan

2 Large Eggplant - Peeled & Sliced about 1/2" thick
3 Eggs - Beaten
1 Cup Flour
3 Cups Sundried Tomato Basil Wheat Thins - Use a blender or food processor to turn into crumbs
3 Cups Tomato Sauce - I make my own but your favorite brand is fine
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Cup Basil - Torn
9 Slices Mozzarella Cheese - About 1/4" thick
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
Canola Oil - or Vegetable Oil

Over a wire rack placed over a cookie sheet place the sliced eggplant.  Generously salt both sides and set aside for 1 hour.  The salt will draw out the bitterness in the eggplant and make all the difference in the world in the taste.  After an hour, rinse the eggplant under water to remove the salt and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a pan over med/high heat add about 1/4" of oil and heat to the point if you dropped a tiny bit of flour in it would sizzle.  Working quickly and in an assembly line take each slice of eggplant and dredge in the four, tapping off any excess.  Then dredge in the beaten egg and then the wheat thins and place in the pan.

Fry on each side about 1-2 minutes or until golden and browned then place on either a wire rack to drain or on paper towels to drain off any excess oil.  Repeat process until all are fried, adding oil as needed.

In an 8x8" pan place a ladle full of tomato sauce on the bottom and move around to cover bottom of pan.  Layer in a single layer of eggplant.  Cut to fit if necessary.  Ladle another tomato sauce layer, sprinkle 1/3 of the basil over the eggplant.  Repeat 2 more times to make a total of 3 layers.

Divide the ricotta cheese over the eggplant in dollops, place the slices of mozzarella cheese over that and the remaining tomato sauce.  Sprinkle the top with the parmesan cheese.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven.  I put it on a cookie sheet in case there was spillage.  Cook for 35-40 minutes when the top should be a nice bubbly brown.  Let sit about 15 minutes before serving. Should serve about 4-6 servings.

Roasted Corn Salsa

10 Ears of Corn – Shucked – Wrapped in Aluminum Foil

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

½ tsp Sea Salt

½ tsp Pepper

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Onion Powder

2 Med. Onions – Peeled & Quartered – Wrapped in foil

Drizzle of EVOO

Pinch of Sea Salt and Pepper

1 Whole Bulb of Garlic – Cut in ½ horizontally – Wrapped in foil
Drizzle of EVOO

Pinch of Sea Salt

24 Roma Tomatoes

2 Med. Jalapeno Peppers – Seeded & finely diced

¼ Cup Fresh Parsley (stems and leaves) – Finely diced (or Basil)

1 tsp Sea Salt

½ tsp Pepper

1/8 Cup EVOO

¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar

¼ tsp Cumin

This recipe can be done on the grill or in the oven.  Today I didn’t have access to my grill so I used my oven.

Wrap Corn in aluminum foil w/ EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder.

Wrap Onion in foil w/ EVOO, salt, pepper.

Wrap Garlic in foil w/ EVOO, salt.

Place in a 450 degree oven for 1 hour.

Cut an X in the bottom of the tomatoes.  Place in a large pot of boiling, salted water for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (Until you see the skin peeling back).  Place in a large ice bath.  Peel off the skin, take out the seeds and rinse the tomatoes to take off any missed seeds.  Then finely dice.

Place a small bowl upside down in a large bowl and with a sharp knife cut the kernels off the corn cob.  Break up the corn with your fingers.

Cut the Onion into a small dice.  Squeeze the  garlic from it's papery jackets and then mash with a fork or the back of your knife to make a paste.

In a large bowl combine the corn, tomatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, parsley, salt, pepper, EVOO, balsamic and cumin.  Stir to combine. 

The longer it sits the more flavorful it gets.  Keep Stirring.  Check seasonings and adjust accordingly.