Mushroom And Goat Cheese Tartlet Food

GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, put the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter into large dice, add to the bowl, and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, add the ice water all at once and process until the dough becomes crumbly. Don't overprocess. Dump the dough out on a floured board, gather it loosely into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off the excess dough. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil and fit it, butter side down, into the tart pan. Fill the foil with rice or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil from the tart shell, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and saute the shallots over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.
• Scatter the cooked shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over the shallots to fill the shell (if the shell has shrunk, there may be leftover filling). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

LEEK, MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim fennel of green top and root end, reserving fronds, and quarter bulb from top to bottom. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, cut fennel and leeks into paper-thin slices. Clean and slice mushrooms.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; add fennel and leeks and sauté until just tender but not brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms and sauté until they release all their liquid and most of it boils away, about 5 minutes. Combine fennel mixture with mushrooms and sauté together briefly; season with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat.
• Unfold puff pastry onto lightly floured surface; cut in half lengthwise to form two long rectangles. Gently roll out each rectangle to approximately 5 by 14 inches and place on cookie sheet (or cut into two circles, if desired). Trim edges by 1/4 inch strips all around; set strips aside. Break one egg into a small bowl; beat slightly. Brush edges of pastry with some egg. Use trimmed strips to make a raised border on each. (Or, fold pastry edges over to form a rim.) Brush entire surface with remaining beaten egg. Prick interior of pastry all over with a fork. Bake until pale gold, about 10 minutes. If pastry has puffed up inside edge, press it down gently. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining eggs with 6 ounces goat cheese and blend until smooth. Spread onto pastry. Return to oven and bake just until set, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with mushroom-leek mixture. Crumble remaining cheese on top. Just before serving, broil tarts on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until tarts are warm and cheese softens. Garnish with fennel fronds.

MUSHROOM & GOAT'S CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Unroll the pastry and cut into 4 rectangles. Use a sharp knife to score a 1cm border around each, place on a baking tray, then chill until needed.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, add the mushrooms and cook over a high heat, stirring, for about 10 mins, or until golden brown and almost all the liquid has evaporated. Season, add the garlic and walnuts, and cook for 1 min. Set aside.
• Put the goat's cheese in a bowl, season and stir through the thyme leaves. Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread the cheese over the centres. Top with the mushroom mixture, then brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg for a glossier finish, and bake for 20-25 mins or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Top with the remaining thyme sprigs and a good grinding of black pepper. Serve with a baby leaf salad.

SPINACH AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a clean surface (cover the other sheets with a damp towel), brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon parmesan. Cover with another phyllo sheet, brush with more butter and sprinkle with another teaspoon parmesan. Top with the remaining phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Cut the phyllo stack into 24 squares, about 3 inches each. Brush a 24-cup mini muffin tin with oil, then firmly press a phyllo square, buttered-side down, into each cup. Bake until golden, 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour, then add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth, 1 minute. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the goat cheese, lemon zest and vinegar until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and mix in the egg yolks, then the spinach.
• Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the spinach filling. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into each phyllo cup and top with the remaining parmesan. Bake until the filling is set, 15 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan; remove and top with the chives.

CARAMELIZED ONION, MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a mandolin or super-sharp knife, cut onion into paper thin slices. Clean and slice the mushrooms.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and saute until caramelized. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until they release all their liquid and most of it boils away, should take about 5 minutes. Combine caramelized onions with mushrooms and saute together briefly; season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat.
• Unfold puff pastry onto a floured surface; cut in half lengthwise to form 2 long rectangles. Gently roll out each rectangle to approximately 5 by 14 inches and place on cookie sheet. Trim edges by 1/4-inch strips all around; set strips aside. Break 1 egg into a small bowl; beat slightly. Brush edges of pastry with some of the egg. Use trimmed strips to make a raised border on each. Brush entire surface with remaining beaten egg. Prick the interior of pastry all over with a fork. Bake until pale gold, about 10 minutes. If pastry has puffed up inside edge, press it down gently. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine remaining eggs with 6 ounces goat cheese and blend until smooth. Spread the mixture onto pastry. Return to oven and bake just until set, about 4 minutes. Add the thyme to the mushroom mixture. Remove cookie sheet from oven and spread with thyme-mushroom mixture. Crumble remaining cheese on top. Just before serving, broil tarts on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until tarts are warm and cheese softens.

MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft and dry, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet, then shallot. Sauté until shallot is soft, about 4 minutes longer. Add nutmeg. Season mushroom filling with salt and pepper. Cool.
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out puff pastry onto lightly floured surface to 12x15-inch rectangle. Cut one 12x5-inch rectangle, two 11x1/2-inch strips and two 5x1/2-inch strips from pastry. Place rectangle on prepared baking sheet. Pierce all over with fork. Using pastry brush, brush all strips with egg. Place short strips, egg side down, atop ends of pastry to form raised crust edge; place long strips, egg side down, atop long sides of pastry. (Mushroom filling and tart shell can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake tart shell until golden, about 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Spread cheese evenly over bottom of hot tart shell. Top with mushrooms. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with cream. Bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

MUSHROOM & GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• For the tartlet pastry: Add flour, butter and salt to the bowl of a food processor and whirl until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cream cheese and egg and pulse until combined and the dough starts to clump together. Divide dough into 2 portions and shape each into a large 6" to 7" disk. Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours until firm.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large 12" skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for 8 minutes while stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and caramelized. Raise heat to medium-high, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms; continue to sauté until the mushrooms are browned and tender, about 6 - 8 minutes.
• Add red peppers and sauté until the peppers are just tender, about 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and stir to combine until the all liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly. Set aside the goat cheese until ready to fill the tartlets.
• Roll out the tartlet pastry dough: roll each disc of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 14" circle (about 1/8" to ¼" thick). Cut out 48 three-inch circles, re-rolling the scraps as necessary. Place the circles into the cavities of the muffin pan by gently pressing them into the bottom and up the sides, bringing the edges of the dough to just above the rims. You may have some extra dough remaining, depending on how thick the rounds were cut. Refrigerate tartlet shells for 10 - 20 minutes to chill.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• While the oven is preheating and the pastry shells are chilling, make the egg custard. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Evenly drop a dollop of goat cheese into each tartlet cup. Top each with 1 rounded teaspoon of the onion- mushroom filling. Gently pour in 1 tablespoon of the egg custard over the filling in each tartlet, filling it just to the rim. Do not overfill as the egg custard will puff up while baking.
• Immediately bake for 18 - 20 minutes until lightly golden and crispy and the egg custard has set and puffed up. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove tarts to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished with more fresh thyme.
• Note: If making tartlets ahead of time, reduce baking time by 2 to 3 minutes. Cool tarts completely and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. To reheat, place cold or frozen tartlets on a baking sheet (or back into the mini muffin cups) and heat in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly golden and warm.

POLENTA, GOAT CHEESE, AND MUSHROOM TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 15-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit it into a 9-inch quiche dish. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch and fold toward center, pressing against side of dish. Chill shell until ready to use.
• In a skillet cook mushrooms with salt to taste in 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until golden and any liquid is evaporated. Spread mushrooms in shell and bake in middle of oven 20 minutes.
• While tart is baking, with back of a spoon force polenta through a coarse sieve into a bowl to break up lumps. Stir in sour cream and remaining 6 tablespoons butter until combined well. Force goat cheese through small teardrop-shaped holes of a grater and stir into polenta mixture with eggs and salt.
• Spread polenta mixture over mushrooms and sprinkle with thyme. Bake tart 35 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Cool tart on a rack until just warm.
• To make butter pastry dough:
• In a large bowl whisk together flour and salt and with a pastry blender or your fingertips blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. On a floured work surface smear dough in 3 or 4 forward motions with heel of hand to slightly develop gluten in flour and make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in 1 hour. Dough may be made 1 week ahead and chilled. Makes enough dough for a single-crust 9-inch tart.
• To make basic polenta:
• In a heavy saucepan bring water and salt to a boil and gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook polenta over moderately low heat (it should be barely boiling), stirring constantly, until very thick and pulls away from side of pan, about 40 minutes for cornmeal and about 15 minutes for instant polenta. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir polenta just before using. Polenta will keep warm, covered, about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
• Note: In the traditional method of cooking polenta, forty minutes of constant stirring is required to achieve a lumpless texture and fragrant flavor. However, Italian-food expert Marcella Hazan has developed a method that involves very little stirring during this time. We believe it produces a very good polenta, one nearly as flavorful and smooth as the traditional procedure. To make satisfactory polenta in a real hurry, an imported instant polenta (precooked cornmeal) is available. This cooks in a mere fifteen minutes.

WILD MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• pre-heat oven 350.
• saute mushrooms in a large pan over high heat until all moisture has evaporated. Add butter ,shallots,lemon zest and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.
• Once cooled, place a spoonful into phyllo tart shells and bake about 5 minutes or so,.

GOAT CHEESE AND MUSHROOM TART

Steps:

• To make the spread:.
• Clean the mushrooms, remove stems and cut into quarters.
• Place the mushrooms and onions in a food processor and finely chop ~ I just chopped finely by hand.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.
• Add the mushroom/onion mix, salt and thyme and saute for 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and saute for 5 minutes longer or until most of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture is like a paste in texture.
• Spoon into a small bowl and let it stand until cool then add lemon juice, mayo and Worcestershire sauce and mix well.
• This filling may be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated until needed.
• For the tart:.
• Preheat the oven to 450º. If using a refrigerated pie crust like I do, let pie crust stand at room temperature according to package directions.
• Unroll the pastry on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
• Spread the mushroom filling evenly to within 1 1/2 inches from the edge.
• Sprinkle with cheese and thyme.
• Fold in one edge of the pastry toward the center covering part of the filling.
• Work around the edge, pleating as you go.
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• Then reduce heat to 350º and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and cool pan on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.