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Fig & Goat Cheese Tart

FIg and Goat Cheese Tart

I woke up on Sunday morning with a headache. Most likely because I was up most of the night thinking about this tart. You really must think I’m nuts. You know something? You’re right. I have come to the conclusion that I am.

I couldn’t wait to get going on this tart first thing in the morning but I had a little issue.

FIg and Goat Cheese TartMy son was still sleeping.

He works hard all week and I know that he likes to get a few extra snooze hours on the weekend. Especially since we gained an hour for daylight savings time ended on Sunday morning. Let me tell you something. It makes absolutely no difference to me with that one extra hour of sleep. Why? Well, here’s my calculations to guide you through my idiotic way of thinking.

If I go to bed at 11:00 p.m. and the clocks change at 2:00 a.m. I still wake up at 8:00 a.m. which is really 9:00 a.m. but in my head it feels like 7:00 a.m. – confused yet?

So the day after the clock changes and it’s 11:00 p.m. which is really 12 midnight in my head I still feel like going to bed at 11:00 p.m. and waking up at 8:00 a.m. which is really 9:00 a.m. in my head.

Never mind.

FIg and Goat Cheese Tart

Getting back to Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. which is really 11:00 a.m. in my head, I wanted to get this “dough show” on the road for this tart. Reason being was that you need to chill the dough for at least 2  hours before you roll and bake it.

 

I noticed that my son’s door was still closed which in my mind meant that he was still sleeping. Being the wonderful mother I am, I let him sleep. My issue then revolved on figuring out how on G-d’s green earth I was going to use a food processor that is louder than a pneumatic drill to make this stinkin dough.

Here’s what I came up with which I believe was GENIUS.

I gathered all my tools, including the food processor, took it ALL downstairs to the basement and locked myself in my husband’s office (which he never uses) and began to swirl and whirl. The office is located in the west side of the house and my son’s room is in the east side of the house. Perfect right?

FIg and Goat Cheese Tart

After all the whirling was complete, I made my way upstairs with all my gear, leaving a trail of flour and butter behind me to clean up afterwards.

I gingerly opened the door from the basement to the main floor and this is what I heard.

“Mom”?

I looked up and there was my son, in his usual après sleep garb (t-shirt and baggy butt crack revealing sweatpants).

“OH! Did I wake you with the food processor”? I asked.

To which he replied,  “No, I’ve been up for a while now”.

OH MY GAWD. Do I need this?

FIg and Goat Cheese Tart

Back to the tart. A few weeks ago, if you remember, I did a post for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in collaboration with Woolwich Dairy. They make the most fabulous goat cheese on earth. Last week, I received a “thank you” basket filled to the brim with assorted flavours of this cheese. The sriracha one in particular caught my eye. Let me just say……..this combo of sweet and savoury was a hit.

 

Figs, two kinds of goat cheese, some yellow tomatoes and a sprinkling of rosemary – absolute deliciousness. I also added a light smear of fig jam on the crust and drizzled it with organic honey to put this baby OVER THE TOP.

Wait. I need to stop and stare at this for a second.

One word.

AHMAZING.

 

Fig & Goat Cheese Tart
 
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • For the Crust

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick - 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons ice cold water

  • Filling

  • 1 tbls fig jam
  • ½ cup goat cheese, any flavour (I used two kinds - sriracha and herb)
  • 6 - 8 small yellow tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 2 -3 fresh figs, sliced in half
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • pinch of salt
  • drizzle of organic honey
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt, and sugar. Scatter the cold cubes of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
  2. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and 1 teaspoon water. Add the egg mixture to the processor in increments, pulsing as you go, until the dough sticks together.
  3. If the dough still looks dry and doesn’t hold together when pinched, pulse in another 1 to 2 teaspoons water, a little at a time, until it does hold together. I only added 1 more teaspoon of water.
  4. Turn the dough out onto lightly floured board.
  5. Lightly knead the dough until everything is incorporated. Don't over knead or you will have a tough crust. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and create a flattened disk. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours (and up to a day).
  6. When ready to make your tart, let the refrigerated dough rest on the counter at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  7. Butter a 9-inch round tart pan or a 13¾-by-4½-inch rectangular tart pan. (I used a non-stick pan and didn't need to grease it all)
  8. On a floured work surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin in the shape of the tart pan until about ¼ inch thick. See pics for exactly how I did this.
  9. Transfer the crust to the buttered tart pan and gently press the dough against the bottom and sides of the pans.Trim any excess dough hanging over the edges and prick holes all over the surface of the dough with the tines of a fork. Wrap the tart pan in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  10. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
  11. Remove the tart pan from the freezer and discard the plastic wrap. Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet, fit a piece of parchment paper snug against the surface of the dough, and weight the parchment with dried beans or baking weights. ( I used those cute little white baking weights - love them!)
  12. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking weights or beans and parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly.
  13. While the tart is still warm, spread jam over the crust, dot with crumbled goat cheese and place on your tomatoes and figs. Sprinkle with salt to taste, a few sprigs of rosemary and pop it back in the oven for 30 minutes.
  14. When tart is done, remove and drizzle with honey. Serve warm.

 

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4 Comments

  1. Hi Christine! That is so sweet of you. I love how you can visualize being in the kitchen with me as well. It’s one of the things I love about this blog. Not only sharing the recipes, but the step by step instructions becomes part of the whole picture (and in my case, I have a little trouble keeping the picture quantities in line – lol !). Thank you so much for following! xo debi

  2. this is absolutely stunning!!!! your dedication to photos is beyond impressive, I love how it’s like I’m in the kitchen with you 🙂 and honestly, goat cheese and figs are two of my favorite combos ever, so everything about this is just incredible! pinned x

  3. Oh my gosh Jane! Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so happy that you are following Simply Beautiful Eating and hope you continue to enjoy my food & photography adventures. Yes, my son emerged from his room long before the tart was done BUT he had to wait for me to finish shooting it before he could dig in. It’s the perils of living with me now….lukewarm food! Xo debi

  4. This looks incredible—beautiful and delicious. Your arrangement and photography are outstanding! I’ve been wanting to combine figs and goat cheese for the longest time. This is an outstanding dish you’v created Not sure I can find yellow tomatoes here.

    I’m a new follower. I smile when I see your creations. I hope your son woke up to enjoy this while it was warm! 🙂

    Jane x

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