Seasonal Tartlets Two Ways with St. Helena Olive Oil Co.’s Balsamic Vinegar
I couldn’t be more excited to partner with the ladies of St. Helena Olive Oil Co. on our third and final recipe collaboration of the year! We have two delicious recipes for you — seasonal tartlets two ways featuring their amazing Balsamic Vinegars in honor of Balsamic Friday!
Balsamic Friday is a genius concept that St. Helena Olive Oil Co. rolls out with each year on Black Friday where they offer 50% off of their Balsamic Vinegars. It’s definitely my kind of Black Friday sale and you will be blown away by how delicious their balsamic is! Let me break it down for you:
BV Modena — this is a younger, more acidic Balsamic vinegar. It’s slightly sweet, tart and adds the perfect tang to dressings, sauces, etc! Pro tip - I love adding a splash to my cranberry sauce during the holidays.
BV Tradizionale — this balsamic is aged, so it’s a bit thicker in texture compared to the Modena. It’s sweet, rich, complex and adds the most delicious brightness + depth to any dish! I love serving this one as a finishing element in my recipes. You may have seen us use it on one of our previous recipe collaborations where we finished a decadent butternut squash risotto with a drizzle of reduced BV Tradizionale. It was the perfect compliment to the rich, creamy risotto — so delicious!
SHOP
50% off Balsamic vinegar now through Monday, 11/30!
Ok now let’s get into the recipes! We wanted to do something simple, seasonal and full of flavor. Enter these delicious tartlets, both of which are finished with St. Helena Olive Oil Co.’s Balsamic vinegars. They couldn’t be more easy to put together and they’re absolutely perfect for socially distanced holiday gatherings.
Pro tip — if you want to have a little variety, I suggest cutting each recipe’s ingredients in half (aside from the puff pastry) and making nine of each flavor. I will warn you — they are highly addicting and will go fast!
Tartlets with Caramelized Onion, Delicata Squash, Herbed Goat Cheese & BV Tradizionale
This herbed goat cheese, delicata and caramelized onion flavor profile pairs perfectly with the richer flavors of the BV Tradizionale.
Makes ~18 3-inch tartlets
INGREDIENTS
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt
3 oz goat cheese
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/3 cup St. Helena Olive Oil co. Balsamic Vinegar Methode Tradizionale
1 small delicata squash, cut into very thin half moons, lightly tossed in olive oil
1 package store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Arugula to garnish
METHOD
First, caramelize the onions. Heat a sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and stir to coat with the butter. Allow the onions to cook for ~45 minutes, or until they’re soft, melty and a deep brown color. Throughout the cooking process, make sure to stir the onions every few minutes. You may need to adjust the heat depending on your stove. Once the onions are nice and caramelized, add a pinch of kosher salt, to taste. Set aside to cool.
Make the herbed goat cheese. Stir together the goat cheese, thyme and 3 Tbsp of water until smooth. Set aside.
Make the balsamic reduction. Add the balsamic to a small sauce pan and simmer over low heat for ~10 minutes until the balsamic has reduced by half. Swirl the pan every couple of minutes to prevent scorching. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured board. Roll out the puff pastry until even and smooth. Use a 3-inch circle biscuit cutter to cut rounds of puff pastry. You should be able to get 9 rounds from each sheet of puff pastry, so 18 rounds total.
Time to assemble the tarts! Add a spoonful of herbed goat cheese in the center of each puff pastry round, making sure to leave ~1/2 inch border around the edges. Top the goat cheese with a spoonful of caramelized onions and few fanned out slices of delicata squash. Finish with a pinch of flakey sea salt.
Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg + water mixture and transfer to the oven to cook for ~15 minutes, until the edges of the puff pastry are golden and puffed up.
Finish with a drizzle of the balsamic reduction and a couple arugula leaves.
NOTES
Don’t be scared of caramelized onions — they just take time and a little bit of attention! Here are a few tips:
Be patient! These do take a bit of time, but the end product is so worth it.
Make sure you manage the heat of your stove - if you feel like the onions are browning too quickly or starting to burn, just turn down your heat.
Stirring the onions every few minutes is important to prevent burning + promote even cooking.
Don’t salt the onions until the very end. Salt draws out moisture, which can inhibit the browning + caramelization if added at the beginning.
Tartlets with Pear, Brie, Thyme & Balsamic of Modena
The creamy + subtle brie, pear and thyme pairs perfectly with the more acidic, tangy flavor profile of the BV Modena.
Makes ~18 3-inch tartlets
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
1 package store-bought puff pastry
2 pears, thinly sliced
6 oz Brie cheese, cut into ~1-inch pieces (rind on)
5 sprigs fresh thyme, cut in half
Flakey sea salt
1 egg, whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Watercress to garnish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the balsamic reduction. Add the balsamic to a small sauce pan and simmer over low heat for ~10 minutes until the balsamic has reduced by half. Swirl the pan every couple of minutes to prevent scorching. Set aside.
Remove the puff pastry from the fridge and use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured board. Roll out the puff pastry until even and smooth. Use a 3-inch circle biscuit cutter to cut rounds of puff pastry. You should be able to get 9 rounds from each sheet of puff pastry, so 18 rounds total.
Assemble the tarts. Lay down a piece of brie cheese on each puff pastry round. Top with three slices of pear, fanned out, a half sprig of thyme and a pinch of flakey sea salt.
Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the egg + water mixture and transfer to the oven to cook for ~15 minutes, until the edges of the puff pastry are golden and puffed up.
Finish with a drizzle of the balsamic reduction and a few watercress leaves.
NOTES
I recommend using Bosc or Bartlett pears for this recipe. They’ll hold their shape while cooking and won’t break down in the oven.
My all-time favorite brie cheese is a double-cream brie called Fromage D'affinois - Whole Foods or any local specialty market will have it!
This is part of a paid partnership with St. Helena Olive Oil. All opinions are my own.