Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart

June 29th, 2009 | Filed under: breakfast, recipe, sides & bites | Tags: , , , ,

Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart

What to do with the creamy, decadent Supreme cheese that Ile de France sent me last month? I thought of a million things. Creamy pasta sauce, intense wild mushroom risotto, another decadent sandwich. But then I had a better idea. Why not top a sheet of puff pastry with nectarines, Supreme and thyme? A simple and pretty hors d’ouevre.

So that’s exactly what I did. And it was absolutely, ridiculously delicious. The nectarines were just the right amount sweet and tart. They melted in the oven coating the puff pasty and acted as a nice counterpart to the creamy Supreme. Sprinkled with fresh thyme and a little flaky sea salt, this was just about one of the best appetizers I’ve made in awhile. It was easy, impressive and delicious.

There’s no better appetizer than fruit and cheese, unless it’s fruit, cheese and puff pastry. Mmmmm!

Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart
You can either make a large one as I’ve done, or use a round pastry or cookie cutter to cut the dough into rounds for individual-sized tarts.

14 oz. puff pastry dough (I love Dafour brand, but it’s pricey)
2 large nectarines, thinly sliced
7 oz. Supreme Cheese (I used Ile de France)
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. coarse or flaky sea salt

Preheat your oven to 375°. Stretch the puff pasty out on a large, greased cookie sheet. Place the nectarine slices onto the pastry, covering it as evenly as possible. Repeat with the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the pasty is cooked through and browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the fresh thyme and salt.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into small squares and serve immediately.

Makes 10-12 hors d’ouevre or appetizer-sized portions.

10 Comments on “Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart”

  1. 1 Stacey Snacks said at 5:53 pm on June 29th, 2009:

    Ok,
    this is INSANE.
    When nectarines come into the market, I will be making this.
    I am the tart queen!
    What a great idea Mel!

  2. 2 mel said at 10:38 am on June 30th, 2009:

    Ha! Thanks Stacey. I kind of want to make it again this weekend, but I’m restraining myself.

  3. 3 Kirby! said at 9:58 pm on June 30th, 2009:

    There is a lot of pressure to make effective use of a fine cheese…. and a tart is the mickeyfrickin way to do it. This sounds so intriguing and mouth-watering…. cheese and fruit is always interesting. Do you have a suggestion for a more common/cheap cheese that jobless hobos like myself could substitute?

  4. 4 mel said at 10:50 am on July 1st, 2009:

    Kirby – Thanks! You can sub something with lots of flavor, like a colby or jack cheese. Probably even cheddar. Brie or Gruyere if your budget can stand it :)

  5. 5 Kelly said at 1:03 pm on July 1st, 2009:

    Oh, I’m drooling! All over my keyboard–ha! Added to my stumble page…

  6. 6 Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said at 2:57 pm on July 1st, 2009:

    I always have puff pastry in the freezer, and as soon as nectarines come into season here, I’m going to make this tart. Looks absolutely delicious!

  7. 7 Liz said at 7:38 pm on July 5th, 2009:

    This looks so divine. Thanks for sharing!

  8. 8 steve said at 6:03 pm on July 6th, 2009:

    Ands what to use if you don’t want to order “Supreme Cheese”? Any easy sub?

  9. 9 mel said at 7:02 am on July 7th, 2009:

    Steve – Sure. Brie is the most similar, but Gruyere, Gouda or Edam would be good too. Anything that melts well will work :)

  10. 10 fresh365 said at 11:03 am on July 17th, 2009:

    Oh wow! So glad I came across your blog- this looks AMAZING!

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