Puff Pastry Tomato Tarts with Italian Sasauge

Puff Pastry Tomato Tarts with Caramelized Onions is a delicious way to use all those garden tomatoes or ones from the Farmer's Market.

Unfortunately, deer have ravaged my plants as of late and now I have to rely on the farmers market. They've been relentless presence every night foraging. Nothing seems to stop their continual grazing. Such a disappointment!

Cook's Notes:
Any type of tomatoes works well for this recipe. Comets (yellow cherry tomatoes) make a nice contrast to the red ones. Depending on the pastry size these versatile tarts can stand in as an appetizer, brunch item, or a light lunch. The recipe makes 6 tarts (4-1/2 inches). The recipe can easily be halved using only one pastry sheet and half of the filling ingredients.
Ingredients:

• 1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter
• 2 cups thinly diced sweet onions
• 1/2 cup diced yellow mini sweet peppers
• 3 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese or 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1 large tomato, cut into four 1/4-inch-thick slices or slice smaller tomatoes to cover the tart space
• Optional 3/4 cup crumbled Italian sausage
• Sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil, parsley, Italian seasoning
• Garnish 3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions:

• Slice tomatoes and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.
• Unfold one sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 4 inch wide glass or another round object as a guide, martini glass works well, cut 3 circles from one sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat steps with the second pastry sheet to make 6 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  
• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, peppers and garlic, saute for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp, nicely browned and almost no moisture remains in the skillet. Remove from the heat.
• Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork, and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
• Place 1 tablespoon onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumbled sausage can be added in this step if using, divide among pastry rounds. Add crumbled 1 ounce of goat cheese or shredded white cheddar cheese on top of the onion/meat mixtures. Place a slice of drained tomato in the center of each tart or chopped tomatoes, sprinkle with spices and grate more Parmesan cheese over the top of each tart.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.