Eric and I enjoy entertaining, and entertaining and food go hand in hand. I always like to try new recipes, but I am usually worried about using my guests as guinnea pigs in case it doesn’t turn out. I am then left with having nothing for them to eat or giving them the disaster that I attempted to make. Whatever I make never turns out that bad, but I always have to run the worst case scenario through my mind. I must say that I am not much of a gambler.
When our friends invited us over to watch the super bowl this past year, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try something new. There would be other snacks there for people to eat in case mine didn't turn out. It also gave me an excuse to search the Bon Appetit website, which I enjoy doing every once in a while.
My stomach rumbled as I finally decided upon the recipe for the mini zucchini and goat cheese tarts. I decided to make the crust from scratch rather than using refrigerated pie crust. I think they turned out beautifully, although my folded zucchini was not as nice as the Bon Appetit picture. I find zucchini tends to taste sort of earthy/grassy so I am excited to try making these with other toppings.
-Anna
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust (half of 15-ounce package)
2 1/2 pounds 1-inch-diameter zucchini, cut into 1/16 inch thick rounds
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
2 teaspoons chopped fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place pie crust on floured work surface. Using 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out 24 rounds; transfer to prepared sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Place in freezer until dough is firm, about 30 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep frozen.
Toss zucchini with 1 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Place zucchini in another medium bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and thyme. Sprinkle zucchini with pepper.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread goat cheese generously over each frozen dough round. Fold 3 to 4 zucchini slices in half and place in concentric circle atop 1 dough round, creating flower-like pattern. Repeat with remaining zucchini and dough (reserve any remaining zucchini for another use). Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until crusts are light golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to platter. Drizzle lightly with additional olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
