The Peak Vegetables of Summer Are Nestled In This Easy Savory Tart

There’s nothing better than summer produce. It’s the time of year when sweet corn, tomatoes, and zucchini are at their peak, and bursting with flavor. I love combining all three in a flaky, buttery puff pastry to create an easy tart that’s a special treat. 

With this tart, I keep things simple and let the natural flavors shine. I don’t add many spices or aromatics (though, of course, you could!)—I simply roast the veggies with salt and pepper. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and adds a bit of caramelized complexity (it also eliminates excess moisture, which helps prevent a soggy tart). 

After that, I add some hot peppers to the mix (any can work; choose based on your heat preference and what’s available at the market) and a bit of tangy goat cheese to balance the sweet vegetables, and into the oven it goes.

This is exactly the low lift/high reward meal I’m looking for on these hot summer days. And it’s pretty beautiful too. 

Easy Puff Pastry Know-How

I highly recommend having a package of puff pastry dough in your freezer at all times. It thaws quickly, is easy to work with, and bakes up into flaky deliciousness every time—I typically buy Dufour pastry dough, which is made with butter, but you can buy what’s readily available to you at your market. 

A few tips for working with puff pastry: 

• Temperature control: You’ll need to thaw the pastry before you can work with it, but don’t want it to get too warm. The goal is to put the pastry in the oven when it is still cold (cold butter creates those flaky wonderful layers we’re aiming for). 
• I recommend thawing the pastry in the fridge for a few hours beforehand and taking it out about 10 minutes before you use it. That should be enough time to let it be pliable enough to unfold without cracking. I also like to chill my assembled tart for about 10 minutes before baking. 
• Don’t overwork: Like other pastry doughs, puff pastry gets tough (and flat) the more you handle it. 
• Egg wash: Brushing the pastry with egg wash before baking helps it get extra crispy and golden brown and gives it a beautiful shiny finish. 

A Super Customizable Tart

• Swap the veggies: Eggplant, bell peppers, asparagus, potatoes, or broccoli would all be delicious. Just keep in mind that different vegetables may have different roasting times. You’re looking for the vegetables to be fork tender and have a slight char (that char = added flavor!)
• Add some herbs or spices: I keep the seasoning in this tart fairly simple with salt and pepper, but you could absolutely add some fresh herbs or spices. Oregano, rosemary, paprika, or garlic powder would be great to add to the filling. You can also top your finished tart with fresh parsley, basil or chives.
• Don’t like goat cheese? Add feta instead. I personally love the tangy flavor of goat cheese in contrast to the sweet vegetables in this tart, but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Feta cheese would be a great substitute. 

How to Serve

This tart is a wonderful make-ahead dish, as it’s as delicious served at room temperature as it is warm out of the oven.

I love serving it with a big side salad for lunch (or brunch!), and with a lightly seasoned grilled chicken or fish for dinner. 

Pleasant Puff Pastry Recipes!

• Caramelized Onion Tart with Gorgonzola and Brie
• Prosciutto and Cheese Puff Pastry Pinwheels
• Mini Apple Turnovers With Walnuts and Gorgonzola
• Easy Asparagus Tart with Goat Cheese
• Easy Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Set the oven racks on the top and center shelves of the oven before preheating.

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan:

Arrange the sliced tomatoes, cut side up, in a single layer on a sheet pan, filling about 3/4 of the pan.

Season the zucchini:

In a large mixing bowl, toss the zucchini with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper until well coated.

Arrange zucchini on a sheet pan:

Arrange the zucchini in a single layer on a second sheet pan, filling about 3/4 of the pan.

Season corn and arrange on sheet pans:

In the same mixing bowl you used to season the zucchini, toss the corn with the remaining oil, salt, and pepper. 

Divide the corn in the remaining spaces on the two pans in a single layer.

Roast the vegetables:

Place both pans in the oven and roast the vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans between shelves halfway through. 

The tomatoes should look slightly shriveled, the zucchini should be fork tender and have a few brown charred spots, and the corn should have a few brown charred spots.  

Remove the pans from the oven and let the vegetables cool. Toss the cooled tomatoes, zucchini, and corn into a large bowl so they are all combined.

Let the puff pastry come to temp:

Remove the thawed puff pastry from the fridge and let it warm until it’s pliable enough to unfold without cracking, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Prepare the puff pastry:

Place a 20-inch long piece of parchment paper on the counter. Unfold both pieces of puff pastry, arranging them on the parchment paper so that they slightly overlap. 

Use a rolling pin to press the two pastry pieces together and create an 18- by 9-inch rectangle. 

Lifting with the parchment paper, carefully transfer the pastry to a sheet pan (if you’d like, transfer the cooled zucchini and corn to a mixing bowl, and re-use the sheet pan).

Assemble the tart:

Evenly scatter the cooled roasted vegetables, sliced peppers, and goat cheese over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. 

Fold each side of pastry in, over the vegetables, creating a crust.

Chill and egg wash the puff pastry: 

Transfer the assembled tart to the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water, making an egg wash. 

Using a pastry brush, brush the chilled pastry with egg wash.

Bake:

Bake the tart for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

Slice and serve:

Let the tart cool for 10 minutes before slicing into squares to serve. You can serve this tart warm or at room temperature.

Storage and reheating:

Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days. 

Reheat the tart in the oven at 350˚F for about 10 minutes to bring back some of the crisp to the pastry. 

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