Roasted Tomato & Ricotta in Vol au Vent

Roasted Tomato & Ricotta in Vol au Vent

by Sarah K of The Garden of Earthy Delights Blog

This may look like a fancy dish, but it's incredibly easy - especially if you cheat like I do and use frozen puff pastry. The tomatoes come from our garden; in the heat of summer our tomato plants are so prolific that there's no way to eat them all fresh! So instead, we roast them and pack them in oil to save them for whatever our needs may be.

For each serving:

Vol au Vent shell:

1 square puff pastry, defrosted if previously frozen (I use Tenderflake, which come with two squares in a box)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Roll out puff pastry to a square with 1/4" thickness. Trim the edges with a sharp knife so it forms a perfect square. Cut a 3/8"-1/2" border around the square, leaving two opposing corners still attached to the main body of the pastry.

Lift one of the unattached corners and fold over to the opposite inside corner, attaching the edges with a bit of water. Do the same with the other corner. Prick the inside of the tart evenly with a fork. Bake on a cookie sheet for 18-20 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes.

Filling:

Ricotta cheese

Oven-roasted cherry tomatoes 

Fresh basil

Flaked or coarse salt

Spread a layer of ricotta cheese on your tart. Sprinkle with torn or chiffonaded leaves of basil. Arrange a layer of cherry tomatoes on top. Finish with a pinch of salt (I used Anglesey sea salt; Maldon would be lovely too), and serve.

Honestly, that's it - roll, trim, bake, fill. I know, right? So simple - which leaves you more time to relax, eat, and hang out with your loved ones - after all, that's the best part of the meal.