Roasted Grape and Rosemary Goat Cheese Tarts

makes 4 mini tarts 3-4″ in diameter, 1 large tart 9-10″ in diameter or 12 super-mini tarts made in a paper-lined muffin tin

Grain-free Tart Shells

• 2 cups blanched almond flour {almond meal would also work}
• 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
• 2 tablespoons tapioca or arrowroot starch
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil plus more for greasing the pans
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 egg, beaten

Lightly grease your tart pans with coconut oil and set aside. In a large bowl add all of the ingredients and mix well to combine. The dough will be quite crumbly, but will hold together when pressed or squeezed.

With your hands gather the dough and divide it evenly amongst the tart pans. Press the dough firmly and evenly into the tart pan, pressing it up the edges of the pan.

Place the tart pans on top of a baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes in the Baking Oven or until just turning golden brown. If they start to brown a bit early, cover with foil.

Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Goat Cheese Filling

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• A few tablespoons of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

While the tart shells are cooling make the filling. In a high speed blender or in your food processor, add the garlic and the rosemary. Pulse several times to chop/mince. Then add the goat cheese, olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding as much water as necessary to keep it moving and to make it creamy, but make sure not to add more than 1/4 cup. Remove the tart shells from their pans and pale on a serving platter or baking sheet, pour the goat cheese filling equally amongst the completely cooled tart shells. Smooth the surface with a spatula, if necessary. Place the tart shells in the fridge to firm up while you roast the grapes.

Roasted Grapes

• 1 pound seedless red grapes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Arrange the bunches of grapes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes in the Roasting Oven, until the grapes begin to burst and the juice around them starts to thicken.
Once the grapes have cooled, and the goat cheese filling is firm, place the grapes on top of the tarts (remove from the stems to make eating easier), garnish with fresh rosemary and serve or chill until you are ready to serve.

NOTES:

To make vegan, simply skip the egg and add a small amount of water to the ground flaxseeds before adding them.

For the filling, instead of goat cheese, opt instead for a cashew cream. Soak 1 1/2 cups of raw cashews (covered in water) for at least 2 hours, preferably longer. Drain and rinse. Add the cashews, the juice from 1 fresh lemon and a pinch of sea salt to your food processor and process until smooth and creamy, a few minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients.