Ingredients (Serves 2 as entrée)

• 165 g / 5 3/4 oz. (half a batch) of “alternative” puff pastry OR equivalent amount of regular puff pastry
• Semi-hard cheese of choice that melts well (I used my homemade Colby)
• Cherry tomatoes (in the rendition in the photo, I used the Blush variety)
• A few leaves of fresh basil, chiffonade

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Roll out the pastry until fairly thin, then place it on the lined baking sheet. I like to make a rectangular tart. Prick the shell with a fork in several places.

Cut a wedge of the cheese and then slice it fairly thin. Distribute pieces of cheese over rolled pastry, leaving a border all around (about 1/2 inch) and also leaving a bit of space in between, where you can place the tomatoes. Keep in mind that in melting, the cheese takes up a bit more surface space.

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and distribute on the pastry, in between pieces of cheese. Sprinkle basil slivers over the tomatoes. I never weighed the cheese or the tomatoes, relying on my sense of balance to adjust the quantities: you want to be able to taste all the ingredients.

Pinch the pastry all around to raise it slightly and fold to make a kind of border. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until the visible crust is light golden, about 25 minutes. As usual, the time varies with the oven. Check the tart after 20 minutes and estimate the time remaining.

Take the baking sheet out of the oven, let rest briefly, then move the tart to a plate or wooden tray, cut it, serve and enjoy.

Cut into smaller pieces, the tart makes a nice appetizer.

>Go to the full post on torta salata con pomodori ciliegia e formaggio / savory tart with cherry tomatoes and cheese