An Easy and Flavorful Tomato Tart

I used to be hesitant to make a new recipe when I had guests coming for dinner. I was afraid that we would not like the meal, or it would not turn out. I have decided life is too short for that! Now, when we entertain, it is not unusual for the entire meal to be made from recipes I have never cooked from before.

I have always loved finding new recipes, and there are an endless number of them to try. Just spend fifteen minutes watching the food channel on TV, browsing through the cookbook section of a bookstore, or looking at Pinterest and you will see what I mean.  While it is nice to have a collection of tried-and-true recipes, it is really fun to experiment with new ones too!

For example, I recently found a recipe on Pinterest published by The Italian Dish in 2010 for a Cherry Tomato Puff Pastry Tart. After reading the directions and seeing the photos, I was pretty sure it would be  delicious!

I purchased the ingredients for this recipe, intending to make this for the party we had last week. However, I spent a little too long planting annuals that afternoon, and forgot to thaw the puff pastry! Fortunately, we had plenty of other food, so it didn't matter that I didn't make it..

Instead, I baked this tomato tart later in the week, just for my husband, son and I.  My son thought it tasted a lot like a homemade pizza (similar flavors, different crust).  I made it exactly according to the recipe - and it was perfect. I will definitely be baking more of these! 

The recipe is easy to follow, and quick to prepare (as long as you remember to thaw the puff pastry!) I was lucky enough to have some tri-colored heirloom grape tomatoes, and these added some beautiful jewel-tones to the tart! 

This tart is perfect as an appetizer or even as a light meal when served with a salad; just click here to visit The Italian Dish and see the recipe.  

Do you cook for guests from new recipes or only serve them dishes you have tried before?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!