Piperade & Goat 
Cheese Tart

Piperade, a flavourful mix of peppers, tomatoes, and onions, is a great standby in the cottage fridge. Paired with goat cheese, we use it to top a tart for a light lunch or appetizer. You’ll find puff pastry in your supermarket’s freezer section.

• Serves: 4-6
• Course: Lunch, Snack

Ingredients

Pastry

• 1 pkg puff pastry (approx. 400 g)
• egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp/15 ml water)
• Piperade (recipe follows)
• 1 cup goat cheese (250 ml)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (60 ml)

Piperade

• 2 sweet red peppers
• 2 sweet yellow peppers
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved 
lengthwise
• 1/4 cup olive oil (60 ml)
• 1/2 cup Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced, or a pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1-2 tsp red wine vinegar (5–10 ml)
• kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Pastry

2. Roll puff pastry to a thickness of about 1/4" (0.5 cm) and cut into two rectangles, each approx 12" x 6" (30 x 15 cm).
3. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, brush surface lightly with egg wash, and prick with the tines of a fork. Bake in a preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for about 15 minutes until puffed and lightly browned. Set aside.
4. Arrange an even layer of Piperade 
on pastry, leaving an edge of about 1/2" (1 cm) on all sides. (You may have to gently crush the top of the pastry if it 
has puffed up too much, or is uneven.) Dot with goat cheese. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Serve warm, or at room temperature, with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper and fresh basil.

6. Piperade

   This Basque dish is tasty tucked in omelettes, tossed with pasta, spooned over polenta, served with sausages and bacon at breakfast, or as part of an antipasto platter. The flavours develop if you make Piperade ahead; it will keep 
for a week covered in the fridge, or up to a month frozen. If your farmer doesn’t grow yellow peppers, substitute red.
7. Halve peppers lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs.
8. Toss peppers and tomatoes with 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil and a pinch of salt. Char on the barbecue, placing the vegetables directly on the grate over medium-high heat, with the lid closed. Or, spread vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a preheated 450°F (230°C) oven for 20–25 minutes or until skins are nicely charred. Remove the yellow peppers from the grill or oven first since they soften more quickly.
9. Set peppers aside in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Chop tomatoes.
10. When peppers are cool enough to 
handle, remove skins, saving all the good juices. Slice peppers into thin strips.
11. Heat remaining oil in a large frying pan set over moderate heat. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly browned.
12. Add peppers and tomatoes, with reserved pepper juice, the jalapeño, if using, and the rest of the ingredients.
13. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serves 4.