Ratatouille Tart

This recipe is once again from The Chew's Clinton Kelly. I whipped it up the other night--I loved the presentation. I also added 3 lonely thin spears of asparagus from my garden. I did not have summer squash on hand so just used the zucchini. Also I really thought I had a pie crust in my freezer but those of you who know that I am not a baker --found only puff pastry which I attempted to use poorly! If you want to skip the crust all together which I will probably do next time then add the parmesan cheese to the egg mixture. Also it was a fabulous breakfast!! The texture and flavor from the goat cheese yummo! Perhaps a lovely side dish for Mother's Day!

 1 store-bought pie dough

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces soft goat cheese (crumbled)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons thyme leaves (chopped)

3 eggs

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

2 zucchini (ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler)

2 summer squash (ends trimmed, sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler)

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll the dough out slightly to fit the tart pan. Place the pie dough inside a tart pan. Press to fit along the sides. Cut off excess dough if necessary. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Top with parchment paper. Fill with raw baking beans. Place in the oven to blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking beans and parchment. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of the crust. Bake for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the goat cheese, heavy cream, thyme leaves and eggs in the base of a food processor. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the cheese mixture into the bottom of the blind-baked crust. Next, make rosettes out of the zucchini and squash strips. Press into the cheese mixture. Scatter the tomatoes, flat-side-up, in between the squash rosettes. Brush the vegetables with olive oil and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Place into the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Tips: Serve the tart along with a fresh salad for a lunch or dinner.