<![CDATA[Pages in my passport - Savory Mushroom & Goat Cheese Tart]]>

Ingredients

For the crust

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4-5 tablespoons ice-cold water.

For the filling

1/2 pound goat cheese, softened at room temperature
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese. (sour cream if you can't find Mascarpone)
2 cloves garlic, minced on a Microplane grater or finely minced
1 tablespoon minced chives
salt and pepper

For the topping

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mushrooms (your choice) trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Make the dough

Mix flour and salt in a food processor by pulsing a few times.

Add the cubed, cold butter and pulse until it looks like coarse cornmeal.

Add a 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time. Pulse until it becomes a rough ball. This should take about 4-5 tablespoons of ice water. Take the dough out of the processor and shape into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

For the filling

Mix both kinds of cheese with the garlic, chives and salt and pepper to taste. This is easier when the cheese is room temperature.

For the topping

In a skillet, heat butter and oil over med-high heat until butter is foaming.
Cook mushrooms and shallots for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their moisture and begin to brown.
Add the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional minute.

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven and heat it to 450 degrees. If you don't, place a cookie sheet upside down in the oven while it is heating up.

Flour a large piece of parchment paper.
Roll your dough on the parchment paper into a 13-15 inch round.
Spread your room temperature cheese onto your dough leaving a 1-inch border.
Spread mushroom mixture on top of the cheese.
Fold the dough towards the edge of the mushroom mixture.
If you have a pizza spade, lift the tart with the parchment paper onto the pizza stone or cookie sheet and cook for 30 minutes.
If you don't have a pizza spade, carefully lift the tart with parchment paper onto your stone/sheet.