Vegetable and Creme Fraiche Tart is a savory appetizer or light meal that wows.
While I love all the toppings on this tart, it’s the pastry crust that changed my life. If you’ve never baked shredded Cheddar cheese into the bottom of puff pastry you are in for a treat. It gets even more buttery, cheesy and delightfully crisped.
The tasty pastry is topped with a mixture of crème fraiche, Parmesan and rosemary. Then a colorful array of zucchini ribbons, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and roasted red peppers are casually arranged on top. A scattering of green onions, thyme leaves and a drizzle of olive oil provide the final touches.
Enjoying Your Vegetable and Creme Fraiche Tart
Is it an appetizer or light meal? Yes! I served my Vegetable and Crème Fraiche Tart as an appetizer for a Game Night with friends. Everyone loved it! But this tart would also be a lovely light lunch served with a green salad.
Tips for Your Tart
- Creme Fraiche – if you’re new to this ingredient, it’s similar to sour cream and usually found in either the dairy of deli area of larger grocery stores. If you can’t find it, don’t freak out. Simply substitute sour cream.
- Puff Pastry – I’ve always bought Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry because that’s what I could find. Apparently there are other butter-based products that are considered superior. I plan to seek out these products in the future. That said, the Pepperidge Farm product enhanced with cheddar cheese was quite delectable. Pepperidge Farm also provides some helpful pastry handling tips on their website.
- Zucchini– Use a vegetable peeler to create thin zucchini ribbons.
- Asparagus – select small spears and cut them into 2 inch pieces. Cutting them diagonally makes a nice presentation. If your spears are larger, use a peeler to make the stalks thinner, preserving the tips.
- Roasted red peppers – I used roasted peppers from a jar and patted off the excess liquid before cutting them into strips. If you prefer to make your own, you won’t have to worry about drying them off.
- Cherry tomatoes – I used gold baby tomatoes, but red or a mix of both would be nice.
- Other Veggies – you can use a variety of different veggies on this tart. For additional ideas, check out the original recipe – Melissa Clark’s Any Vegetable Tart recipe
Vegetable and Creme Fraiche Tart
Zucchini, asparagus, roasted red peppers, and cherry tomatoes are piled onto a seasoned creme fraiche filling and baked in a cheddar-flecked puff pastry crust.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Cheddar (I used sharp)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup crème fraîche
- All-purpose flour for rolling out pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry see notes
- 1 cup zucchini ribbons
- 1/2 cup thin asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces, diagonally
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes (red or yellow)
- 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, patted dry, and cut into strips
- 4 green onion white and light green parts, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp. thyme leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Thaw frozen puff pastry according to package directions (usually 35-40 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle cheddar cheese onto the parchment paper in a 10-by-13-inch rectangle.
- Roll pastry out to a 10-by-13-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on top of the shredded cheese, tucking any stray pieces under the dough. With a sharp knife, cut into, but not through the dough, forming a 3/4-inch border around the edges. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over inside the border at 1-inch intervals.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, Parmesan, rosemary, a pinch of salt, and pepper until smooth. Whisk in crème fraîche until smooth.
- Spread crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Arrange vegetables in a single layer over crème fraiche. Scatter green onions and thyme leaves on top. Lightly drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden and the vegetables are cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cut with pizza cutter and enjoy!
Notes
Puff Pastry:
I used 1 sheet of pastry from a 17.8 oz package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (the package contains two sheets.) The original Melissa Clark recipe for the Any Vegetable Tart called for a 14-ounce package of puff pastry (preferably made with butter.) Even though my pastry sheet weighed less, I was still be able to roll it out to a 13 x 10″ rectangle.
Could I freeze this before cooking?
I wouldn’t recommend it. I love a good make ahead recipe as much as the next person. But you have to thaw the puff pastry to make the tart shell and I don’t think refreezing it would be advisable. Plus the fresh vegetables would change consistency if they were frozen.