Heirloom Tomato Tart on Puff Pastry

My daughter requested this lovely summertime tomato tart. It was a beautiful presentation and tasted as great as it looked.

You can use any good ripe tomato, but these Cherokee Purples were just picked from the garden.

1 sheet of puff pastry - 9½ by 9½ inches

3 large tomatoes - sliced in about ¼" slices

4 oz. cream cheese

3 T. mixed basil and oregano

1 t. minced garlic clove

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 t. olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan - divided in half

A little bit of minced basil for garnish

Defrost puff pastry in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and lay the slices out on paper towel so they drain a bit - cover with a sheet of paper towel as well.

While the tomatoes are draining some of their juice, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion slices. Sprinkle with salt and let them slowly brown and soften.

Place puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper placed on a baking sheet.

Carefully unfold puff pastry.You can gently press any tears in the pastry back together.

Prick puff pastry all over with a fork to about ½ inch of edges.

In mini food processor, pulse cream cheese, herbs, minced garlic, pepper, ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese until smooth.

Spread cream cheese mixture on puff pastry, spread very thinly - right up to the edge - leaving about ½" border around the edge. Carefully spread onions over the cream cheese mixture.

Sprinkle the Italian blend cheese over pastry, cream cheese mixture and onions.  Layer sliced tomatoes over onions. Sprinkle last ¼ cup of Parmesan over the tomatoes.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the tart from the oven and carefully lift parchment paper and tart off of baking sheet. Let it cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle with chopped basil to garnish if desired.