Roasted Beet & Carrot Tart w/ Warm Goat Cheese, Garlic & Herb Spread (GF)

The flavor combination of roasted beets and warm goat cheese is one of my favorites, but I haven't yet met a pie crust I couldn't mess up.

I saw a photo and description of this dish on Facebook. Like the Technical Challenge on the Great British Baking Show, I tried to make it with just a list of ingredients. The toppings met all expectations, but I'm still not clear on the state of the puff pastry crust. Should it have been pre-baked? Should only one layer have been used? 

If the end result was to replicate a pie crust, then this was successful. If it was supposed to be light and fluffy, not so much. It reheats well, though, and I woke up this morning thinking about having a piece for breakfast. It's a delicious and  satisfying dish with perfect fall colors. 

UPDATE: In watching the latest episode of the Great British Baking Show just now, one baker is using "compressed puff pastry layers" in his showstopper cake. This exactly describes how the puff pastry layers in this tart turned out. Mystery solved.

My Paleo Marin Rating: 3.5 Persimmons

How to Make the Roasted Beet & Carrot Tart:

Ingredients for the Roasted Beet & Carrot Tart:

Ingredients for the Vegetables:

Nantes Carrots
Image from Urban Farmer

4 small red beets, washed and ends trimmed

4 small yellow gold beets, washed and ends trimmed

4 medium carrots, ends trimmed and peeled, preferably Nantes Carrots 

Water for the baking pan

 

Ingredients for the Goat Cheese Spread:

8 oz. goat cheese, room temperature

1 garlic clove, minced with garlic press

1 teaspoon honey (optional)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Ingredients for the Crust:

1 package puff pastry sheets (2 ready to bake sheets), defrosted in the fridge overnight if frozen, OR

For gluten-free puff pastry, see recipe at Bob’s Red Mill website here

Flour for dusting the table under the pastry sheets

Olive oil to brush between the pastry sheets

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water whisked together in a small bowl (egg wash)

Optional toppings: Roasted squash, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, salted; radish slices 

Directions for the Roasted Beet & Carrot Tart:

Directions for the Vegetables:

Preheat oven to 400º F. 

1. Add 1/4” water to the bottom of an 11” x 14” baking pan. Add the carrots and beets and cover with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. 

2. Place vegetables in a bowl to cool. Remove the skin on the beets. If making the tart right away, cut the beets into about 1/4 “ pieces vertically from the top down. Slice the carrots down the middle. Set aside on a plate. Or place the uncut vegetables in a covered container and store in the fridge overnigh, and slice when ready to make the tart.

Directions for the Goat Cheese Spread:

1. In a medium bowl, use a wooden spoon or fork to mash together the goat cheese, garlic, honey, salt and herbs. Set aside.

Directions for the Crust:

Line a 9” x 13” quarter baking sheet with parchment paper; trim edges to meet top of sides.

1. Flour the table surface where you are going to prepare the pastry sheets. Put one layer of the pastry on the table and roll or push out with your fingers to fit into a 9” x 13” rimmed quarter baking sheet. Push the pastry up the sides as high as possible. Brush with olive oil. Repeat with the second pastry sheet and place it on top of the first sheet. Lightly score the upturned edges every 1/2” or so around the pastry dough perimeter.

2. Brush the the top sheet with the egg wash. Add the goat cheese and spread it out to within 1/2” of the edge of the tart. Place the sliced beets and carrots around the top of the tart. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the goat cheese is warmed and the crust has turned brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. LIft out the tart on the parchment paper and place on a table. Sprinkle with extra herbs, roasted seeds and radishes, if using. Cut the tart into pieces and serve.

Store extra in a covered container in the fridge. Serve warmed up at 350ºF for about 5-10 minutes, or at room temperature.

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*My Paleo Marin Rating between 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.