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Tomato, Onion and Goat Cheese Tart

* adapted from Gourmet Magazine: August, 2002

ingredients:

tart or pie crust dough (I used this recipe)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon spicy grapeseed oil
1/2 large yellow onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 large vidalia onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup smooth goat cheese
3/4 cup pecorino-romano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt or lebneh
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
fresh basil
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into an 4-inch rounds and fit into individual tart pans. Trim excess dough, lightly prick bottom and sides with a fork.

2. Line tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (or dried beans). Bake in middle of oven until pastry is pale golden around rim, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights and parchment and bake until golden all over, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool in pans on a rack.

3. While tart shells are baking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt and black pepper to taste, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Preheat broiler. Mix goat's cheese, 1/2 cup pecorino-romano, yogurt and lemon juice. Add pepper and salt to taste. Thinly chop 2 basil leaves and add to cheese.

5. Spread onion over bottom of each tart shell and top with cheese mixture. Arrange tomatoes, slightly overlapping, in concentric circles over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup grated pecorino-romano and salt and pepper to taste and then drizzle with grapeseed oil.

6. Put tart pans on a baking sheet and broil tart about 7 inches from heat until cheese starts to brown slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.

Changes, hints, tips and thoughts for this recipe:

• my own fault, completely -- I forgot how much I dislike regular pastry with savory fillings...next time I'll try a corn bread crust, for sure!

• this could also be made as one nine-inch tart...but whatever size you make it, this appetizer or side-dish definitely has that great thing called "wow appeal!