Apple, White Cheddar, and Arugula Tart
apple cheddar tart
Fall is almost here and I just can't help myself I had to start thinking of fall dinners. Apples are back at the Whole Foods I shop at which means that they are starting to come back in season! That's one of the things I love about the seasons changing is all of the food that changes with it. Fall is my absolute favorite. I have been thinking of a million recipes I want to do with apples and this came to me when I wanted to use the puff pastry I had in my freezer. I love puff pastry because it's consistently good and who doesn't like that buttery flakey amazingness!? I recommend finding a brand that has really good ingredients and nothing that has corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. I get mine from Whole Foods, but definitely keep your eyes peeled for something worth having. Puff Pastry is a good staple to have in your freezer because there is so much you can do with it. This is a really fast and easy lunch/dinner idea. You could actually make these even smaller and have them as appetizers.
There is something wonderful that happens with you mix warm apples with melted white cheddar cheese. The sweet with the creamy saltiness together is just so good. Then to make it even better I added baked prosciutto for some crunch and topped it with cool arugula covered in my favorite tart Lemon, Mustard, and Thyme Dressing. All of these components together make for a perfectly balanced and beautiful dish.
apple cheddar tart
Apple, White Cheddar, and Arugula Tart
Makes 4 servings
*1 9x9 good quality puff pastry; thawed
*1-2 apples (depending on size); whatever kind you like; thinly sliced
*roughly 8-10 tablespoons shredded white cheddar cheese
*8 slices of prosciutto; optional
*about 3 cups arugula (the measurements don't have to be perfect)
*Lemon, Mustard, and Thyme Dressing; if you don't have time to make this you can just use lemon and olive oil
How to make it:
*Thaw the puff pastry dough at room temp
*Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
*Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place prosciutto sliced on the sheet
*Bake the prosciutto for about 15 minutes or until crispy; set aside to cool a bit
*Make sure your puff pastry is folded all the way out if it comes folded in the package
*Cut the square of puff pastry in half both ways making four equal sections
*Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cut pieces of puff pastry on the sheet
*Top each square with a heaping tablespoon of white cheddar cheese
*Place a layer of thinly sliced apples on top of the cheese
*Top the layer of apples with another heaping tablespoon of white cheddar cheese
*Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly
*After you take the tarts out of the oven crumble 2 pieces of the crispy prosciutto over each one
*Place the arugula in a bowl and lightly coat it with the dressing
*Using a fork and a sharp knife roughly chop the arugula so there aren't extremely long pieces
*Top each tart with a handful of the arugula (around 1/2 to 1 cup depending on how much you like)
*I like to serve these with a very sharp knife; I used a serrated steak knife; it makes it easier to cut
apple cheddar tart
apple cheddar tart
apple cheddar tart
apple cheddar tart
apple cheddar tart
You will be surprised at how easy and how GOOD this recipe is!! If you make it please let me know! Tweet @mariaprovenzano or post to Facebook www.facebook.com/MariaProvenzanoBlog