At a visit to the local Saturday market, we were offered a taste of this delicious tart made by Hastings House pastry chef, Rosemary Harbrecht. The pastry was a perfect compliment to the freshness of the cheese and zucchini. Rosemary gave us a copy of this recipe and we made it for lunch that day and it was a family hit. Enjoy!
1 1/2 c. flour
5 oz. cold unsalted butter
kosher salt
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 1/2 lbs. zuchinni cut into 1/8 inch slices
black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. chèvre (original recipe called for 4 ounces each of chèvre and cream cheese)
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. lemon zest
By hand or in a food processor, mix flour, butter, 3/4 tsp. salt until crumbly. Add the vinegar and 3-4 tbsp. cold water just until dough comes together. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic to chill for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough to about 10 or 11 inches in diameter. It should be about a 1/4 inch thick. Place the pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill for at least another 15 minutes.
Toss the zucchini slices with a teaspoon of salt and let it drain for about 20 minutes. Gently press out more moisture with paper towel. Then toss the zucchini in a bowl with pepper and 1 tbsp. of the olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Mix the cheese with the herbs, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread this over the pastry leaving a small uncovered border. Arrange the zucchini slices in overlapping circles. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes until the zucchini is golden around the edges.