Here we are again, new year, new you…just kidding, I thought we talked about that. We will not utter those words again. The festivities are coming to a close for 2019, one more big hoorah to say goodbye to 2019 and welcome the new year and new decade! I have the perfect New Year’s Eve App that is not only a stunner to look at, but a stunner to eat. This Beet and Goat Cheese Tart is easy, elegant and unBeetable!
Not sure when the tradition started that just because a calendar year is coming to an end it’s a new beginning. To me it’s just another day, time, year. But I guess it’s fun and sometimes a necessity to look at it as a new beginning and new hope for the future to come. I am down with hope. So, sticking with hoping the New Year is bright, let’s add a little luck in with the hope. Many cultures around the world have different food traditions to ring in the New Year to give you that extra somthin’ somthin’ to ensure your new year is filled with prosperity, love and a full bounty. We all know the common foods that supposedly bring luck, like the pomegranate (check out and make my pomegranate macarons to double down on your luck this year), in the south, black eyed peas and of course, eating 12 grapes at midnight…and if you don’t choke and die your new year will be a success! 😉 Anyway, a lesser known good luck food is the mighty beet! Yes, just beet it, beet it, don’t make me repeat it. Ok, yeah, supposedly the beet bodes well for success in the New Year. So, beet me up Scottie.
Enter this beautiful Beet and Goat Cheese Tart! It is simple to prepare, and bonus can be served at room temperature. However, you do need a mandoline (which once you have you will use all the time, trust me) to get the beet slices nice and thin and uniform to ensure proper cooking. All you need for the tart is store bought puff pastry, orange marmalade, goat cheese, thyme, golden and red beets (if you like a bit of a milder beet flavor you can go with all golden. You will just miss out on that beautiful red beet juice that marries with the marmalade to make this amazing sweet and tart sauce though). Of course, I have to add a little heat that balances beautifully with the orange, beets and goat cheese. I drizzle the top with Mike’s Hot Honey. If you can’t take the heat, you can use regular honey, but I highly recommend the hot honey. It’s a subtle heat and adds that extra layer of flavor and umami (just kidding, I hope that descriptor will be gone with 2019). Then for a little crunch, garnished with chopped caramelized walnuts. It really is the perfect combo of sweet, a little savory and luscious buttery bite of puff pastry. Yum!
Orange marmalade evenly spread over the puff pastry. Then just assemble the tart, less red beets than golden beets.
Goat cheese feta grated and chunks on top with a little zing from some orange zest!
All goldeny, redy, beety goodness fresh out of the oven!
Garnished with some fresh thyme and sliced into squares for your guests.
Let’s all ring in the New Year with a little more hope and a little extra luck and make this beauty for your New Year’s Eve gathering. Shoving 12 grapes in your mouth not required, but there might be 12 grapes in the wine you are sipping on so double down on the luck this New Year’s Eve! Beet and Goat Cheese Tart for all the prosperity, health and happiness…at least you will be in your happy place while eating this.
Happy Weekending and BEETING It!
Diane
- For the Tart:
- 1 defrosted puff pastry sheet (can double easily, package comes with two sheets)
- 3 to 4 tbsp. orange marmalade
- 2 small golden beets
- 1 medium/large red beet
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme separated
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt divided
- 1 tbsp. orange zest
- 4oz goat cheese feta (can sub soft goat cheese)
- 1 egg beaten for egg wash
- For the Garnish:
- ¼ cup chopped caramelized walnuts (can sub roasted walnuts or pecans)
- 1 tsp. thyme
- Drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey (can sub regular honey)
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line the counter with a piece of parchment paper to lay the defrosted puff pastry (from the fridge) on. Gently roll it out slightly to even out and extend the dough out a bit to a larger rectangle. Don't over roll it though. Dock the dough by poking the surface with a fork to create little holes.
- Evenly spread the marmalade over the puff pastry, leaving about an inch border around the edges.
- Slice the beets thin using the mandoline, think chip thin, about an ⅛th of an inch. Place the red beets and golden beets in separate bowls and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to each bowl and about ½ tsp. of fresh thyme and ½ tsp. salt to each bowl and toss to combine. Place the red beets down first, I just did three rows of three. Next place the golden beets over the red beets in an overlapping pattern (you will probably have left over beets, save for another use). Sprinkle the orange zest over the beets. Then shred some of the goat cheese feta over the beets (if using the harder goat cheese) and then the goat cheese crumbles. Fold edges of the puff pastry over to form border over the edges of the beets. Using a pastry brush, coat the edges of the tart with the egg wash.
- Pull the tart still on the parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If you see the puff pastry bubble up in the middle, just poke a small hole with a sharp knife to let the air out. It's done when the puff pastry is golden brown. Then I just turned the broiler on high and let it caramelize the beets a bit for about three minutes. Don't walk away during the broiling part.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack for at least 15 minutes (so the juices can set up). Garnish with the rest of the fresh thyme, chopped walnuts and drizzle of hot honey. Serve warm or at room temp.
- Enjoy!
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