Goat Cheese and Onion Tartlets

I haven’t always loved to cook, but I have always loved to eat.  In the second grade, my teacher assigned our class a project to describe what we believed was the most beautiful thing in the world. My fellow classmates described their mothers or our country’s purple mountains majesty, illustrated by watercolors and crayons in the shades of the sunset.  Unlike the others, I seized the opportunity and declared my love for food. My project read, “The most beautiful thing I've ever seen is low-fat cottage cheese and pepper.” And I drew an interpretation of the dish to accompany my declaration.

I’ve been into food of all shapes and sizes for as long as I can remember, but relatively recently found the joy of cooking. When I was a little girl, it seemed to be a chore, a task my mom had to force me to help her with—definitely not something I enjoyed until I was on the receiving end of things.

Moving out of the house and living on my own is what ultimately helped me to realize my potential. Sick of the cafeteria at my college, I became curious about the kitchen. One of the first recipes I took ownership of were these delicious goat cheese and onion tartlets.  I found it in a vegetarian cookbook I gave my mom for Christmas one year.  He captures a range of cultures through a vegetarian perspective, delivering breakfast, appetizers, soups, main dishes and desserts.  It is the type of book that has you drooling over every page.  I love eating the tartlets, and what’s more, I love cooking them. They are simple and straight forward, and most importantly, very, very delicious.

I have found these to be a real crowd pleaser—serve them as appetizers in 2-inch squares at holiday parties for the perfect bite, or larger squares as a side to a tossed salad. They are best enjoyed warm, but can be made a day ahead of time.  Prepare the tartlets on the baking sheet and put in the fridge until just before your company arrives. I like these to be more rustic; they do not need to be perfect, so don’t feel the need to trim the edges. As is our motto at Knife and Fork, always make recipes your own and play around with them.  Brie works well in place of goat cheese, and feel free to try different herb options, such as rosemary or oregano instead of thyme.

Low-fat cottage cheese with pepper is no longer the end-all-be-all for me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t take pleasure in simple things. Whether it be preparing these tartlets paired with a salad tossed with Elizabeth’s dressing or pushing myself to make a flawless soufflé, I am eternally grateful to the cooking gods for luring me in.

Happy eating,

Lindsay

Goat Cheese and Onion Tartlets

Adapted from Easy Vegetarian

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups of thinly sliced onion, 1 lb.

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½  tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

12 oz. puff pastry dough, thawed if frozen*
8-ounce log of goat cheese

Flour, for dusting

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Put the butter in a skillet, melt over low heat, then add onions, garlic, and thyme. Sauté gently for 20-25 minutes, until softened and golden. Season with salt and pepper and let cool.

Put the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to form a rectangle, roughly 8 x 16 inches, trimming the edges.  Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise (hotdog, for those of you who relate better to that terminology) and into 4 crosswise, making about eight 4-inch squares.

Divide the onion mixture between the squares, spreading it over the top and leaving a thin border around the edges. Cut cheese into eight slices and arrange in the center of each square.

Transfer squares to a large baking sheet lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until dough has risen and the cheese is golden. Let cool a little and serve warm.