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    Home » seasonal recipes » summer » Savour Summer: Lemony Zucchini, Pesto and Feta Tart

    Savour Summer: Lemony Zucchini, Pesto and Feta Tart

    Aug 12, 2010 · 20 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    By this point in the summer, most of us either have more zucchini and more basil than we know what to do with, or know someone desperately trying to unload some of their zucchini and basil on everyone they know.

    Which is where this tart comes in. It's inspired by one of my favourite vegetarian pizzas and the overwhelming amount of enormous (and cheap!) zucchinis offered up by the farmers' market these past couple of weeks. I started by layering thinly sliced zucchini onto pesto-slathered puff pastry, then sprinkled the whole thing with tangy crumbled feta and shreds of fresh basil.

    Lemony Zucchini Tart

    And I didn't use just any old feta, either. No sir, I used Lemon Fetish from Fifth Town, a Prince Edward County based cheesemaker that produces some downright addictive artisan cheeses.

    This particular cheese is a creamy sheep's milk feta that's bathed in lemon juice, and then rolled in a lemon zest and red fife mixture to further infuse it with the levels of citrusy flavour needed to satisfy the most fanatical of lemon lovers, like me. It's a lovely partner for many summer vegetables, like beets, carrots, beans, cucumbers and (obviously) zucchini.

    Lemony Zucchini Tart

    In fact, because I just can't get enough lemony freshness, I also decided to use lemon basil as the base for my pesto and again in the topping, and finish by sprinkling the tart with lemon zest. Sure, I might be a little obsessed with lemon, but at least I'll never have to worry about scurvy.

    The end product of all these layers of summery ingredients is a fresh and flavourful tart that's as beautiful as it is delicious. Pair it up with a simple salad, some crusty bread and a dish of oil-cured black olives for a light summertime supper or a knock-their-socks-off brunch.

    (Needless to say, if you're not lucky enough to live somewhere where Fifth Town cheeses are available, regular feta will do just fine.)

    //

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    Lemony Zucchini Tart

    Lemony Zucchini Tart


    • Author: Isabelle Boucher
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    Description

    Make the most of a bumper crop of zucchini with this easy summertime tart topped with pesto, thin-sliced zucchini, crumbled feta and ribbons of fresh basil.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (if frozen)
    • ½ cup pesto
    • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
    • 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
    • 2 tbsp good-quality olive oil
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 egg, lightly beaten
    • ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
    • Zest of 1 lemon

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 9"x12" baking sheet with parchment paper.
    2. On a clean surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out the puff pastry so that it's just slightly bigger than the prepared baking sheet. Carefully transfer onto the baking sheet, folding the edges back in to create a ½" border. Spread the pesto onto the pastry, leaving the border untouched.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the zucchini slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on top of the pesto layer, overlapping them slightly as you go. Sprinkle with crumbled feta and grated Parmesan.
    4. Lightly brush the edges of the tart with beaten egg. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden, and the zucchini are just starting to brown around the edges.
    5. Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving, adding a scattering of chopped basil and lemon zest at the last minute.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kevin says

      August 17, 2010 at 7:42 pm

      Great looking zucchini tart!

      Reply
    2. fortheloveofyum says

      August 17, 2010 at 3:25 pm

      Delicious, I could sink into this right now! I adoreeeeee fifth town cheese, I even made the trip to Picton and went to visit them. Haven't tried their feta though, will pick it up soon!

      I know what you mean about giving away basil and zucchini, growing up my parents would give tons to the neighbors and the neighbors would give us tons in return. hehe.

      Reply
    3. baking.serendipity says

      August 15, 2010 at 9:04 pm

      There is definitely a lot of zucchini in my life right now, and this is the perfect recipe for it :) Looks delicious!

      Reply
    4. Rosy says

      August 15, 2010 at 4:27 pm

      I love new recipes to use with my puff pastry. I wish my garden had yielded an over-abundance. But there is always next year.

      Reply
    5. Bren says

      August 15, 2010 at 12:22 pm

      What a fabulous way to enjoy to fantastic green earthy foods! Love basil with lemon in any form, especially a martini. Your "pizza" looks divine!

      Nice to meet you! :)

      Reply
    6. foodalution.com says

      August 15, 2010 at 11:51 am

      I love love love artisan cheeses. Am glad to hear someone else has a fetish for them - I should send you some of my friends amazing cheese from Blue Mont Dairy.. you would love it - tart is awesome...way to use zucchini~

      Reply
    7. One Pair Two Pear says

      August 15, 2010 at 12:41 am

      it seems our fridges are twins. will surely makes this to help use the extra basil we have - krsta

      Reply
    8. Isabelle says

      August 14, 2010 at 2:25 pm

      Thanks, everyone! As a side note, my friend Farah tried a variation of this tart using heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese instead of zucchini and feta, and had nothing but nice things to say about it. So if you're tired of zucchini, there's an option for you. :)

      Baking Barrister, the phyllo pocket idea sounds brilliant! Very mediterranean fusion.

      Reply
    9. FamilySpice says

      August 14, 2010 at 11:39 am

      Time to break out my mandolin! Beautiful tart- Pass me a slice!

      Reply
    10. Cookin' Canuck says

      August 14, 2010 at 11:20 am

      Your paper-thin slices of zucchini are perfect for this. What a great way to enjoy zucchini!

      Reply
    11. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says

      August 14, 2010 at 12:22 am

      Absolutely THE most perfect summer tart! Never enough zucchini or Feta, far as I'm concerned :)

      Reply
    12. Baking Barrister says

      August 13, 2010 at 7:11 pm

      It looks so good! I can see the ingredients making a great filling for some phyllo pockets as well.

      Reply
    13. Katelynn says

      August 13, 2010 at 4:21 pm

      That looks so tasty! I love pretty much anything with a little lemon! Pretty pictures too, good job:)

      Reply
    14. Indie.Tea says

      August 13, 2010 at 4:07 pm

      That looks delicious...I've been trying to come up with an idea for a lovely summer tart...yours looks just about right :)

      Reply
    15. A Thought For Food says

      August 13, 2010 at 2:31 pm

      What a fantastic looking dish! And simple too! I love it!

      I can't get enough zucchini and am so happy to have another way to use it.

      Reply
    16. Anna says

      August 13, 2010 at 1:59 pm

      That's really pretty, loved the combination of pesto and zucchinis. Looks yummy.

      Reply
    17. Torviewtoronto says

      August 13, 2010 at 11:32 am

      lovely tarts

      Reply
    18. Pacheco Patty says

      August 13, 2010 at 10:30 am

      This does look really good, love all your fresh ingredients!

      Reply
    19. ravienomnoms says

      August 13, 2010 at 8:54 am

      This looks and sounds really good. Looks like a great summer treat!

      Reply
    20. Peggy says

      August 13, 2010 at 6:02 am

      this sounds soooo good! I'm sure I can scrounge up some zucchini this weekend just for this!

      Reply

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    Hello! I'm Isabelle, and this is my blog. I'm a 40-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, trucker-swearing self-taught cook with a major addiction to vintage cookbooks. Come for the recipes, stay for the terrible puns! Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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