French Inspired Heirloom Tomato Basil Goat Cheese Tart

Tomato Slices Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar

My deep dish red pie pan and my thin french tart pan

Punch Lots of Holes! I think I punched about 30 in mine.  I don't use a fork, four holes at a time is not spaced evenly.  I use a very sharp knife tip.

All Put Together

Lots and Lots of Basil Strips

  The Balsamic Vinegar makes it a "Tart" Tart!  :)

The goat cheese balances out the bite of the vinegar.

FRENCH INSPIRED TOMATO BASIL GOAT CHEESE TART

4-5 ounces creamy goat cheese
3-4 good sized heirloom tomatoes (I used a mixture of yellow and red)
1 unbaked pie crust
2 tablespoons fresh sliced basil leaves (15 leaves?)
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup Romano cheese

Slice your tomato slices to be about 1/3 inch thick.  Press them with your fingers just to try to get rid of several of the seeds and the gooey watery membrane.  Marinate in the balsamic vinaigrette for 30 minutes to an hour.  Set your goat cheese out on the counter so that it can come to room temperature for a spreading consistency.  Too cold and it will not spread easily for you. Turn once or twice to make sure they are all coated nicely while you marinate.  I do this in a big gallon sized Ziploc bag. I use a large french tart pan just because I really wanted this one to look pretty.  You could just as easily spread it out on a cookie sheet and roll the edge slightly.  Many different ways to do this. Punch several holes into the spread out pie dough and bake at 350 for about 6-8 minutes.  You just want to get the baking started on this.  When it comes out, let it cool for 2-3 minutes and then spread your goat cheese evenly over the bottom.  Retrieve tomato slices, and arrange one layer of them evenly over the surface.  Use any leftovers for salads.  Sprinkle basil and Romano cheese over the top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let cool for 15 minutes and slice!   Such a great flavor combo!

Chorizo Quiche

This is so easy to make. Don't be dissuaded by the long ingredient list. Some dishes are best with simple ingredients, others are best with tons of them.   Great for you spicy food lovers! We make lots of quiches at home, some are very light, airy and fresh tasting.  This one leans more towards the thick, dense, and spicy.  Very satisfying.  Quiche's are great for leftover ingredients you have.  Have fun adding more ingredients to this one. 

CHORIZO QUICHE

2 links of chorizo sausage, casing removed

1 sweet onion (vidalia, use a yellow onion if you can't find a sweet one)

1/2 of a red bell pepper chopped

1 large clove of garlic finely chopped

1 small can chopped green chili peppers

1/2 small package of button mushrooms, de-stemmed and chopped

1 jalapeno, de-seeded, de-stemmed, and chopped finely

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 pie crust

1 cup of your favorite cheddar cheese, we used white pesto cheddar for this

Saute the first 7 ingredients together until the chorizo is thoroughly chopped up and cooked.  Prepare the unbaked pie crust according to directions in your favorite pie pan.  Some crusts you need to partially cook before continuing.  Pour your sauteed ingredients into the pie crust and distribute evenly.  In a small bowl, whip your eggs and milk together and pour on top of your pie crust ingredients.  Top with evenly sprinked cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350*F oven for 45-60.  You want a nice golden brown crust on this one.  Note:  It will be rounded in the middle until it cools and it will become flat again, it's just the trapped steam escaping the eggs.  Serve hot or cold.  Makes six nice sized slices. 

Serve with a small salad and some fruit like mango and peaches.