What I liked about this simple recipe besides it being easy, is that it has 2 of my favorite ingredients: Goat cheese and puffed pastry. Then, throw in some delicious top-of-the-season tomatoes and in my book, this makes for a great and scrumptious appetizer. Try it and see what you think.

What you need:
- flour for rolling
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
- 1 Tablespoon of sour cream
- 1 teaspoon of grainy-type mustard
- course salt and ground pepper
- 2 large leeks, use only the white and light green parts
- 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter
- 3/4 pound of  of grape and/or cherry tomatoes*
- 2 ounces of fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves**

What to do for Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. On a lightly floured work surface (I used my kitchen counter), roll out the puff pastry to a 12-inch square. Transfer the square to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the pastry. Fold over a 1/2-inch border on all sides and pinch the corner edges to seal. Put the pastry in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, halve the leeks lengthwise and rinse thoroughly. Slice into 1/4-inch thick pieces. (Hint: you can actually cut up your leeks completely first, put them in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Then, place the rinsed leeks in a paper towel and soak up the extra moisture – I find this gets rid of all the sand and grit completely.)

5. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft for about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are very soft for another 5 minutes.

6. Take the cooked leeks and arrange them evenly over the sour cream mixture on the pastry. Top with the tomatoes and season again with salt and pepper. Bake until pastry is golden brown and crisp for about 25 minutes. Let the tart cool slightly and top with the crumbled goat cheese and thyme. You can serve this warm or at room temperature.

This yummy easy appetizer recipe for Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart can be served as a savory side dish or cut into little squares as an hors d’oeuvre.

* About the tomatoes: cut up the plum and cherry tomatoes if they are on the large size. Or,  you can substitute with beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick or use a combination of them!

** You can substitute basil for the thyme or rosemary. Use your imagination!

NOTE: The layer of the sour cream mixture and the leeks help to create barrier between the tomatoes and the pastry crust. This prevents sogginess. I found that my pastry was still a little soggier than I would have liked… probably because I used too many tomatoes. So, don’t go crazy with them – even if you like tomatoes as much as I do!

One last thing: I am NOT a photographer and I have a very inexpensive digital camera. This is my first time trying to document making a recipe with a camera. The first photo comes from the very cute foodie blog: The Pookie Pantry, so thank you for that!

For more great Easy Appetizer Recipes, please visit the website with the same name! Thanks!

What you’ll need:
- 48 cherry tomatoes
- Salt
- 1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp cognac or other good brandy
- 2 oz. pimiento stuffed green olives(chopped)
- Tobasco sauce
- 1/2 cup parsley (minced)

What to do:
First, cut a thin slice from the stem end of each tomato and scoop out center pulp. Yes, it’s a bit labor-intensive and you are wondering where is the “easy” part of this appetizer recipe? Well, what’s easy about it, is the eating part. REAL easy.

Next, sprinkle inside with salt and invert the tomatoes on a paper towel for 10 or 15 minutes. Combine the cheeses and cognac. Blend until smooth and then add olives and 2 or 3 dashes of Tobasco sauce. Fill the drained tomatoes with the cheese mixture, sprinkle with parsley and serve it up!

Serve this easy appetizer on your favorite party platter. Enjoy!