Summer Zucchini & Goat Cheese Tart

My Ina Garten recipe kick is going strong these days. I bought some zucchini the other week with no actual plan for what to do with them. After looking through some recipes, this one seemed like a winner. I had most of the ingredients at home and what I didn't have in the fridge was growing in the garden. This is a great way to use up zucchini if you have them growing in your yard. One note, if you don't have the goat cheese, lemon and herbs, you could make a slightly different variation by subbing Boursin or Alouette cheese instead. Though I recommend trying the original recipe first.

Recipe from Ina Garten

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 stick (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut in to 1/2" cubes
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
5 tablespoons very cold water

For the tart:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cut in to 1/8" circles
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces plain goat cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
kosher salt
pepper

Start by making your dough, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the flour, salt and butter. Pule about 12-14 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the food processor running add in the water and vinegar. Mix until the dough just comes together. Turn out the dough on to a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough in to a disc, cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling place the sliced zucchini in a colander. Toss with 2 teaspoons of salt, set on a plate of in your sink and set aside for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, using a fork mix together the goat cheese, thyme and lemon zest in a small bowl. Once 30 minutes are up, spread out the zucchini on a dish towel, roll it up and gently squeeze to remove excess liquid. Place the zucchini in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 400F/204C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Flour a surface and roll out the dough in to an 11" circle (as best you can). Transfer the dough to your prepared baking sheet. Spread the goat cheese mixture on to the dough, leaving a 1/2" edge. Using a butter knife works well for this. Beginning on the outside of the tart, start laying the zucchini slices in overlapping circles. Continue until the whole tart is covered. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Bake 40-55 minutes, until the dough has turned a golden brown color. Slice the tart and serve at your desired temperature, anywhere from hot to room temperature. Pin It Now!