Vegetable Rose Tart

I might have a slight obsession with floral foods. It’s more than just the fact that they are pretty. I think it’s an illustration of just how creative food can be! Now was the time to put this creativity towards something savory and I couldn’t wait to see what floral touches could be had on vegetables!

This vegetable rose tart is an exciting way to spice up your veggies. Here we can pretend like we’re not eating healthy at all! But yes, this is loaded with plant-powdered nutrition. I used zucchini for it’s sturdy edges to help hold the rosettes together but let carrots and beets shine. Sliced beets give the best rose petal appearance but we rely on the other two vegetables to hold things together.  You’ll love how the beet juices bleed to create a naturally pink tart!

I’ll admit, the slicing and rolling of these roses does take some time. This isn’t an “under 30 minute” dinner recipe. Let Alexa run with your favorite hits and allow yourself to slip into an hypnotic state. I promise it’s an enjoyable process and the rewards are so delicious!

The vegetable roses sit upon a deliciously flavored goat cheese filling. It’s simple, yet the flavors work so well together to highlight the natural sweetness of the veggies. These are the kinds of flavors that are delicious hot from the oven or eaten as a cold afternoon snack. I have to guess, if you know someone who is hesitant to eat their vegetables (or likes to limit the extra nutritious ones like beets or zucchini), I think pretty roses with a tasty goat cheese filling would be just the thing to entice them!

Vegetable Rose Tart

Tart Crust:
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 Organic Egg
1 1/4 cups White Spelt or White Wheat Flour
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
OR use 1 Pre-made Pie or Tart Crust Dough

In a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Add the frozen butter and egg and pulse.  Transfer the dough to a work space lined with plastic wrap and form into a ball. Chill the dough for 20-30 minutes or overnight. Roll out dough on a lightly greased tart pan. Bake the tart lined with parchment paper with beans or pie weights at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes. The crust should still be slightly under baked.

Rose Vegetables:
4 Beets, washed well with stems removed
2 small Zucchini (thin ones are best)
3 Large Carrots, stems removed
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

Place vegetables on a clean cutting board. To prepare the beets, slice with a mandolin or very sharp knife to create thin beet circles. Slice circles in half and set aside. Slice zucchini by peeling long strips with a potato peeler (peeling away from you), with the first one or two as test slices. Continue peeling until the zucchinis becomes too thin to continue. Repeat with the carrots. Drizzle the vegetables with lemon juice and allow to sit for 5 minutes to help soften. With any leftover beets, you can re-wet them with water and rub over the other vegetables to dye them more pink.

Tart Filling:
8 ounces Goat Cheese
1 Large Organic Egg
1 Large Garlic Clove (about 1 teaspoon)
Zest of 1 Lemon + 1 teaspoon Juice
1/8 teaspoon Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Salt and Pepper

Mix the filling ingredient together until well incorporated and smooth. Set aside.

Assemble:
Spread the goat cheese filling over the baked tart crust. To assemble the vegetable roses, lay down a large slice of carrot or zucchini on a clean work surface. Rolling the slice away from you, add in other veggies as you roll them into a pinwheel. Layer in the sliced beets intermittently to the roll. The carrots and zucchini create a stronger base, but the beets create that rose appearance. Make sure to make all different sizes of roses! Place the veggie roses in the tart, arranging where they fit. Insert any leftover beet slices in any bare spots or to help create larger roses. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Bake tart at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until the veggies begin to brown and soften and the tart crust is golden. If crust edges are browning too quickly, cover if necessary. Allow to cool slightly before slicing. Leftovers store well, covered, for up to 4 days.