Wild Mushroom Tart with Basil Cashew Cream
I don’t often impress myself with a meal. I ho-hum and receive the praise of others graciously, but more often than not, I think I could have done something better. That is not the case with this recipe! It was an amalgamation of a non-vegan Mushroom Tart recipe on epicurious, and a recipe for Basil Cashew Cream from the Millennium Cookbook, which I altered slightly. The combo was to-die-for! Flakey puff pastry (what an incredible product!) and wild mushrooms from Hui’s Organic Mushrooms in Aldergrove (available at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market) were SO DELICIOUS!
With the leftover puff pastry I made Cinnamon Peach Tarts for breakfast the next morning…It’s been a tart-tastic couple of days!
Ingredients for 2 Wild Mushroom Tarts:
1 big sheet of puff pastry, thawed and cut in half (if you want to make four servings, double the mushroom mixture)
1/4 cup Earth Balance or vegan margarine of your choice
1/2 cup finely minced shallot
4 cups assorted wild mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 coarse ground pepper
splash of marsala wine (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup Basil Cashew Cream
thyme sprigs for garnish
Basil Cashew Cream:
1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons light miso paste
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt, to taste
Place all ingredients in blender and blend till very smooth. Pour into plastic squeeze bottle for easy drizzling over the tarts when they’re done. Reserve 1/4 cup of the Basil Cashew Cream for the mushroom mixture.
Method:
Roll out each pastry sheet on work surface to 10-inch square. Cut each into 4 squares. Using small knife, score 1/2-inch border (do not cut through pastry) around inside edges of each square. Arrange squares on a rimmed baking sheet.
Melt Earth Balance in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper, and splash with marsala wine, if using. Saute until tender and lightly browned, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to large bowl; cool 15 minutes. Add chopped thyme, lemon zest. Mix in 1/4 cup of the Basil Cream.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Position rack in the middle of oven* and preheat to 400°F. Mound filling atop pastry squares, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.
Bake tarts 10-12 minutes, watching carefully. Transfer to plates; drizzle with Basil Cream and garnish with thyme sprigs.
If making 4 portions and doubling the mushroom mixture, you’ll need two baking sheets. You’ll also want to place 1 rack in the top third of oven and 1 in the bottom third. Also add about 10 more minute to cooking time, reversing sheets half way through.
Enjoy!
~The Vegan Project
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