Transform Summer Vegetables with This Puff Pastry Tart Recipe

You don’t need to be a pastry chef to whip together a show-stopping appetizer that looks like it came from the corner French bakery. Instead, you can make these summer vegetable puff pastry tarts, courtesy of recipe developer Miriam Hahn, for a simplified take on what would normally be an intricate pastry. The secret weapon is puff pastry, a frozen gem that you can pick up at nearly any grocery store, which serves as the base for these tarts. The flaky, golden base is layered with a lemony herb cream cheese, and topped with seasonal summer veggies that are roasted to perfection. Each bite is light and tangy with a buttery crust that melts in your mouth. 

These tarts make a beautiful addition to an outdoor garden party, Sunday brunch, or wine and appetizer night. The best part is that they take very little time to create, with no prior pastry skills necessary, and you can even use up plenty of your own garden’s harvest to boot. “In the summer when my garden is overflowing with seasonal produce, I love getting creative and using it in unique ways like this puff pastry tart,” Hahn says. “Once you have the basic recipe down, you can swap in other veggies and make a new version each time.”

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up a lemon, parsley, dill, asparagus, zucchini, grape tomatoes, and chives. You can use either curly or flat leaf parsley. Then head to the frozen section and grab a box of puff pastry. You’ll also need some cream cheese, balsamic glaze, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cut each pastry sheet into 4×4-inch squares.

Prick the center of each pastry square with a fork to prevent puffing.

Using a butter knife, score a ¼-inch border around each square.

In a medium bowl, zest the lemon.

Mix in the cream cheese, parsley, and dill.

Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture onto each square, staying inside the scored edges.

Arrange the asparagus spears, zucchini, and grape tomatoes on each square.

Brush the squares with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the tarts for 20 minutes, or until the edges are brown.

Garnish the tarts with chives and drizzle on balsamic glaze (or include the glaze on the side) before serving.

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These puff pastry tarts are easy to make, but we do have some extra tips to make sure they turn out perfectly every time. For starters, make sure to allow time to thaw the puff pastry completely. The easiest way is to put it in the fridge overnight or for at least a few hours. Avoid thawing it on the counter, because it can easily become too soft to work with.

Scoring the border of the pastry gives you a beautiful raised edge. Be sure to be gentle, so you don’t cut all the way through. Poking the pastry is an important step to keep the center flat for your toppings. If you want to prepare the tarts ahead of time before baking, pop them into the fridge to stay chilled so that the pastry holds its shape. When adding toppings, avoid overdoing it with too many veggies, which might weigh down the pastry and make it soggy.

Once you put the baking sheets into the oven, stay close by to check that they are not getting too brown. You may want to rotate the sheet pan halfway through cooking, if the side closest to the back of the oven is browning quicker. Be sure and save the chives (or any fresh herbs you will be using to garnish) to add after the tarts have been cooked.

These vegetable tarts are extremely versatile and can be changed up in many ways. In terms of the veggies, you can tailor them to the vegetables in season. Other summer vegetables that work well are corn, eggplant, and bell peppers. For fall, try roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, and onions. In the winter, go with root veggies, and in the spring, radishes, leeks, and peas make a nice combination.

The cream cheese layer has some flexibility also. You can make it vegan by using a store-bought vegan cream cheese or making your own from tofu. You can also use vegan ricotta or cashew cheese. Instead of a cheese layer, pesto makes a wonderful base and ties in nicely with the summer vegetables. A simple creamy hummus also makes a delicious layer and adds a protein boost.

To give the tarts a Mediterranean twist, add kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomatoes. For a spicy twist, use harissa, red chili flakes, or sliced jalapeños. A sweet and savory combination is delicious too — add sliced figs and red onion for this option.

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