Preserved Lemon and Date Tart

The November 2017 edition of Martha Stewart Living contained a recipe for a date, olive and goat cheese tart. This is my 'cover' version of that appetizer which adds slightly more cream cheese and substitutes preserved lemons for Martha's olives and pickled peppers. It looks funny but tastes yummy.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of puff pastry, thawed

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 3 ounces of dates

• 4 ounces of room temperature goat cheese

• 4 ounces cream cheese

• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped preserved lemons

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• Freshly ground pepper and a healthy pinch of flour de sel (or some other flaky salt)

Methods:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Unfold the raw pastry onto parchment paper and roll it as necessary to make a 9 x 10 inch rectangle. Transfer the pastry on the parchment paper to a cookie sheet. Using a sharp knife score a 1 inch border, avoiding cutting the pastry all the way through. Prick the pastry inside the border with the tines of a fork. Brush the border with the beaten egg, reserving the remaining egg for the cheese filling. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and press the centre down to create a well surrounded by the crispy pastry shell border.

Cut the dates into 1/4 inch rounds and set aside.

Mix together the cheeses, beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chopped preserved lemon and lemon juice.Carefully spread the cheese mixture over the centre of the tart shell. Sprinkle evenly with the dates and bake for 10 minutes longer.

Serve at room temperature.