Tomato, Goat Cheese and Onion Tart

Last week my mah jong group took a little overnight girl's trip to Brenham, Texas.  It was lots of fun.  We left Houston around 9:00 a.m. and drove to Round Top where we planned to have lunch at Royers, an interesting, eclectic little cafe.  Unfortunately bad weather had knocked out their power so we ended up re-routing to JW's Steakhouse in Carmine.  The heavens opened while we were eating so we brought our mah jong sets in and played the afternoon away!

When the rain finally let up we headed to the Ingleside Bed & Breakfast in Brenham, with a detour to the Blue Bell Creamery.  We were too late for the tour but did enjoy some delicious Blue Bell ice cream!  After a little downtime at the B&B we had a delicious dinner at Volare and then finished out the evening with a few more rounds of mah jong.

Wearing our Blue Bell Creamery hats!

We were booked for a tour of Ellisons Greenhouses in Brenham on Friday morning so, after enjoying a lovely breakfast and checking out, we met P.J. Ellison, who showed us around.  What a neat place!  Amongst many other things, in one greenhouse Ellisons has pick-your-own tomatoes.  It was hard to limit myself to just a few!  I also bought some beautiful spring onions.

After touring Ellisons we returned to Houston.  It was a fun trip!  Back home I found myself with a lot of beautiful, fresh tomatoes at the peak of ripeness and decided to make an onion, tomato and goat cheese tart.  It was absolutely delicious.  I made it off the top of my head and haven't "trued up" the recipe so bear with me, make any changes you like and enjoy!

Tomato, Goat Cheese and Onion Tart

I make my own crust using Julia Child's recipe but you can certainly use a refrigerated crust from the store.

2 medium onions, sliced thin

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 medium tomatoes

4 oz. goat cheese (I used an herbed goat cheese)

2 tablespoons fresh, chopped basil

2 cloves garlic, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 egg

I like a rustic tart but if you want to use a tart pan then I recommend that you pre-bake your crust.

Slice tomatoes at the beginning and set aside so they'll give up some of their water.  Heat olive oil in a shallow saute pan over medium heat and add onions and salt and pepper.  Stirring occasionally cook the onions until they are brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes.  When the onions are caramelized, add balsamic vinegar and stir through, remove onions from heat.

If you're making your own crust or using a store-bought crust, roll it out and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  If you have pre-baked your crust, you're ready to fill!  Spread the caramelized onions on the crust.

Add the tomatoes and the goat cheese, sprinkle the basil on the top.  For a rustic tart, bring the edges up and around the filling, tucking and pleating to make a nice shape.

Beat an egg and brush the pastry with the egg wash for better browning.  Bake the tart in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the crust is baked through.

Cut and serve!  Makes four entree-sized portion or eight appetizers.  

Enjoy!