I claim this because we’ve
subtracted from the mix one of the defining things that makes a pizza a pizza:
the bready crust.
What we’ve replaced it with is that wondrous but finicky
food item from Greece known as phyllo dough, a paper-thin pastry dough meant to
be layered to make a number of tasty pastries and sweet treats. Of course this tart is savory, so we’ll be
skipping the sweet. It is certainly
pizza-like, but the overall dish has more of a Greek feeling and flavor than an
Italian one, mainly because of the phyllo, but also due to the selection of
toppings.
A word of warning:
Phyllo dough can be notoriously difficult to work with if you don’t
prepare properly. It usually comes
frozen, so it first must be thawed properly.
The only way to do this right is several hours in the fridge. If you just set the dough out on the counter,
it will thaw too quickly and become mushy.
If you don’t thaw it long enough it will be too brittle to unroll. Add to this the fact that even perfectly
thawed dough will dry out quickly when you leave it on the counter, and phyllo
dough can be daunting indeed.
But, it is a very rewarding ingredient when used
properly, so don’t be daunted, and give it a try. Just thaw it several hours in the fridge,
roll it out carefully, and keep it covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel
when you’re doing other things and you should be fine.
Tomato Phyllo Tart
12-14 Sheets Phyllo Dough, thawed
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Stick Butter
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
4 oz. Prepared Pesto
1 8 oz. Block Feta Cheese
2 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese
2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced into Thin Slices
Several Kumato or other Small Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Kalamata Olives
Fresh Basil
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Stick Butter
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
4 oz. Prepared Pesto
1 8 oz. Block Feta Cheese
2 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese
2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced into Thin Slices
Several Kumato or other Small Tomatoes
1/3 Cup Kalamata Olives
Fresh Basil
Preheat oven to 400°F.
After thawing your phyllo dough properly (see above)
unroll it
and place one sheet on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking
sheet. Melt the butter and blend with
the olive oil. Brush the phyllo sheet
with the butter/olive oil mixture.
Sprinkle
this with a light sifting of breadcrumbs.
Layer another phyllo sheet on top of this. Brush this sheet with the pesto mixture.
Continue layering the phyllo sheets one after
the other, alternating the butter/oil/breadcrumbs with the pesto. Continue until all the sheets are used. Make sure you spread the last layer with a
good helping of the pesto mixture. Fold the edges over to make a half-inch
crust.
Slice the block of feta into thin slices and layer them
onto the tart.
Next, layer on the Roma
tomatoes, leaving some space between them.
You will then fill this space with the smaller Kumato Tomatoes or
whatever small tomato you are using.
Next, spread your Kalamata olives liberally about the
tart, then finally sprinkle on the feta cheese crumbles.
Bake in the 400°F oven for 30-40 minutes, keeping an eye
on it and taking the tart out when the phyllo crust turns a golden brown and is
crispy.
Until next time,
Opa!
Chris
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