Harvest Tarte for Thanksgiving & Christmas

These savory puff pastry tartes were a big hit as our vegetarian main for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Enjoyed by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, these Harvest Tartes have endless possibilities for the vegetable stuffing inside. Plus, the frozen puff pastry sheets (Pepperidge Farm) are vegan, and the recipe makes two tartes.  I used mushrooms, pesto, cauliflower, romanesca, broccolini, lentils, cheese and spinach in this recipe.

Harvest Tartes Recipe:

1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (Frozen)

8oz mushrooms (I used baby portobellos and King Trumpets), sliced

2 TBS olive oil

1 tsp butter (or oil)

fresh herbs, finely chopped, if available (optional)

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

2-3 cups of vegetables (I used cauliflower, romanesca, and broccolini)

1-2 TBS pesto (or other sauce)

3 TSP cooked lentils (optional or sub another cooked grain/pulse)

6 oz baby spinach

1-2 TBS vegetable broth

2 oz cheese (I used Cowgirl Creamery's Mount Tam)

1 egg, beaten to glaze (optional)

Remove the puff pastry sheets from the freezer, open the packages and open the sheets up. Defrost for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.

Put a little oil in a frying pan and lightly cook a clove of garlic. Add the sliced mushrooms, spreading them out in the pan so they cook evenly. Add the butter and fresh herbs, if using, or a little more oil as needed. Cook until the mushrooms have released their juices but are still slightly firm. Salt & Pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a frying pan, heat 1-2 TBS olive oil and fry 1-2 crushed garlic cloves over low heat.  Add your  2-3 cups for vegetables and fry until your vegetables are beginning to soften:

Add the pesto, lentils, vegetable broth, spinach and salt and pepper. Cover and cook a couple more minutes. Vegetables should be almost cooked, but still firm.  

When you unfold the puff pastry sheets, you'll see lines from the folds where they were folded which basically divide them into 3 long sections each.  Cut even thin fingers on the two outer sections per the picture below:

I layered the mushrooms along the un-cut center section and topped them with my cooked vegetables with lentils, and topped the vegetables with cheese:

You then fold the fingers over the filling, one finger from one side, then one finger from the other side until all the filling is covered:

Place on a baking sheet line with a non-stick silicone baking mat (or use foil if you don't have one) to prevent the bottom from sticking to the baking sheet.  Brush with beaten egg, if desired, to get the shiny glaze you see on the cooked version below. Put in the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until crisp and golden.

Let it cool a bit before trying to move it off the line baking sheet as it is very fragile when hot. Use two spatulas to prevent it breaking when moving.

Enjoy with vegetables, as an appetizer, a salad depending on the season!

Below is a picture of my Christmas lunch!