Fresh veggies with garlicky cheese spread and a flaky herb pie crust? Count me in! Whether you have a veggie garden or not, this Savory Garden Harvest Veggie Tart will brighten your table and your tastebuds. It's perfect for brunch, lunch, parties, and appetizers. Make this for your favorite veggie lover!
Starting mid-summer, we'll have veggies ready to pick, and I'll definitely be making this during the gardening season. I'll also make it in the dead of winter and early spring if I happen to run across produce that looks especially fresh. So, if you have tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and some kale - then clean out the frig and make this tart!
A word to the wise: this tart is rustic so depending on the veggies you use there will be some variation in texture. Soft flesh veggies like the tomatoes will cook down a bit more than their crunchier neighbors, but we love it like that. The veggies shine through!
Tap through this Web Story to see just how easy it is!
Let's start from the bottom up - the tart crust.
I've made this veggie tart with store-bought pie crust, flatbread, frozen puff pastry, and my favorite - homemade herby pie crust. They'll all work, so grab whatever sounds good to you. I'll link the Savory Herb Pie Crust here so you can bookmark it for later. We love it for any savory tart or pie. I'll use it for Chicken Pot Pie, French Onion Tarts, and a delicious Heirloom Caprisi Tart. I like to make this tart slab style in a shallow 9x13 inch jelly roll pan. As the veggies bake, they'll lose some volume, so the long shallow pan size works out just about right.
Next up, the cheese spread.
Mix together some mascarpone or cream cheese with fresh garlic, parmesan, and salt and pepper for a simple but delicious cheese spread that offsets the veggies perfectly. Mascarpone is Italian cream cheese. It's very similar to its American cousin but more rich and velvety. If you're short on time, just pick up a ready-made savory cheese spread. You should be able to find a garlic and herb version that would go well. While you're at it, grab a little roll of goat cheese, we'll dab that on the top just before baking.
Veggie tart vegetable options.
I'll go for anything that's colorful and has different textures. Tomatoes are at the top of the list, and I'll try to find different shades, sizes, and shapes. I love zucchini and yellow summer squash on this tart. I'll slice it very thinly using a simple peeler to make long and short ribbons. Red onion is tasty and beautiful, of course. I like kale for the heft and crunch. As it bakes, it becomes tender but still retains a crisp texture. The edges char a bit which adds an interesting crunch and flavor. Green, yellow, or red peppers work well, too. Then, there's shaved asparagus, slivered leeks, the list goes on!
Tart baking tips.
This tart will bake in about 30-35 minutes - long enough to thoroughly bake the crust but not too long, which would over-cook the veggies. A trick for this tart (and any pie or tart) is to bake on pizza steel or stone. That will ensure a crispy crust. If you don't have one, then you can use a spare cookie sheet. Just preheat the oven with the cookie sheet inside and bake your tart on top of the cookie sheet. Some veggies have quite a bit of moisture, so a crispy crust is essential.
If you love garden to table recipes you might also like Pesto and Lemon Grilled Chicken .
Savory Garden Harvest Veggie Tart Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large pie crust see notes below
- 8 oz mascarpone or cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic about 3 large cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup grated or pearled parmesan cheese
- 2 large sliced tomatoes see notes below
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 zucchini medium-sized, sliced thinly
- 1/2 cup red onion sliced thinly
- 1 large handful fresh raw kale leaves stems stripped
- 1 bell pepper, the color of your choice sliced thinly
- 4 oz goat cheese or tangy substitute
- egg wash (1 egg yolk + 2 teaspoons water) to brush on the crust for even browning
- flaky sea salt to sprinkle on the baked tart
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Prepare your pie crust and line a shallow 9x13 inch jelly roll pan, or your tart pan of choice. See notes below for options.
- In a small bowl combine the mascarpone (or cream cheese) with garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Prepare your sliced veggies. See notes below.
- Spread the garlic parmesan cheese mixture over the bottom of the pie crust.
- Place the sliced veggies on top of the cheese spread mixture in one even layer. Arrange the veggies closely together but try to not overlap them. Try to build different layers of volume by rolling the zucchini ribbons and ruffling the kale leaves into little bunches. See video and notes below.
- Pull off small knobs of goat cheese, placing pieces here and there on the tart.
- Brush the pie crust edges with the egg wash.
- Bake in a preheated 425F oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375F and bake 20-25 minutes longer until the tart crust appears baked and the veggies are starting to take on color. You'll see crispy brown edges on the kale and zucchini. You can tent very loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. Just make sure it's loose so the veggies don't steam and get mushy.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle on some flaky sea salt to finish.Slice and serve.
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