We did it! Another year of high school is behind us! Not that I’m in any hurry to have my daughter grow up, but high school has not been a great experience so far. Our neighborhood high school holds approximately 1500 students, which puts 35+ teenagers in each class at any given time. Consider all those different personalities and quirky behaviors in close quarters together for seven hours a day.
“Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, a parent ages as much as 20 years.” -Unknown
On a positive note, last weekend my daughter was in a spring dance performance where she was recognized for her dance achievements, and given a scholarship for future dance classes and expenses. So proud of her!
During this last week, while getting my daughter through finals and daily dance practices, quick, simple recipes were essential in getting food on the table. There’s one dish I want to share with you. It’s a roasted veggie savory tart. Once you have a few basic ingredients on hand, you can top this tart with nearly anything. So easy, it practically makes itself, and it can multitask into an appetizer, a side dish, a brunch dish, or a complete meal.
Original recipe by The Decisive Cook
Savory Roasted Veggie Tart
1 box puff pastry shells
2 sweet onions
1 head of garlic
10 small peppers in various colors
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan
1 Teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 Teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup crumbled chevre
Flour for rolling out pastry
Parchment paper
Cookie sheet with sides (baker’s half sheet, 18×13″)
Defrost pastry shells at room temperature for 40 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to the size of the pan with 1 inch fold around edges. Cover pan with parchment paper, and place pastry onto it. Brush with an egg wash (1 egg, 1 Tablespoon water). Prick pastry with a fork on the top surface.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place peppers, and garlic in a baking dish. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and roast in a 350°F. oven for about 45 minutes, or until peppers are a bit browned.
Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil to a pan, and heat on medium-high heat. Thinly slice the onions and add to the pan. Add sugar and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes or until onions are slightly browned.
Whisk together ricotta cheese and egg. Slather the mixture onto the egg washed pastry. Top with 1/4 cup of the parmesan, the carmelized onions, roasted garlic, roasted peppers, chevre and sprinkle on the remainder of the parmesan.
Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until pastry is browned.
the decisive cook 