Any recipe that uses up a good amount of veggies is a hit with me.
I tend to go overboard at the farmers market — this time of year everything looks so delicious! — but it’s important not to let food go to waste. According to a Guardian report, roughly 50 percent of all produce in the United States is thrown away amounting to $1,600 in annual food waste for every family of four.
With this staggering number in mind, I’ve made it a point recently to keep recipes on hand that use unusual vegetables, vegetables in bulk, or difficult herbs sometimes delivered in the CSA. Juices and stews are great for this task, but sometimes your veggies are just too darn pretty to hide.
Tarts and galettes are a great option for showcasing those shiny vegetables, while also allowing plenty of space for layering and packing in leftover produce. You could easily throw in another layer of zucchini to this recipe if that’s what’s sitting on your shelf, or add extra asparagus, radishes or even broccoli. With a simple store-bought crust — because who has time to make crust when there are so many more farmers markets to peruse! — you can turn your surplus veggies into this light lunch or dinner.
Heirloom tomato, zucchini, goat cheese tart
Serves 4; Prep: 10; Cook: 25
Ingredients
- 1 refrigerated pastry sheet (cut in half)
- 2 heirloom tomatoes
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp honey mustard
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces goat cheese
- 3 sprigs thyme
- salt
- pepper
Directions
- To caramelize onions, warm 2 tbsp olive oil on medium heat in large sauté pan. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 35-40 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once soft and cartelized, set aside to cool.
- Using a dull knife or side of fork, trace a border about 1/2 inch from outside of crust. Repeat on all four sides. Bake according to package (or about 15 minutes on 425ºF or until pastry is a light golden brown).
- In a small bowl, add goat cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 sprig of thyme. Mash together until goat cheese is soft and spreadable.
- Spread cheese mixture over bottom of each pasty half. Drizzle with mustard.
- Top with cartelized onions, followed by zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350ºF for another 10-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and zucchini has softened.
- Sprinkle with remaining thyme sprigs. Serve warm. Enjoy!
