Roasted Red Grape and Rosemary Tart

 I saw a Roasted Red Grape and Rosemary Tart in a free magazine which my friend Linda (of date nut bar fame) sends to me. I love leafing through it and the recipes often entice me. Typically, they are simple and well-suited to my home cooking tastes. This one, for instance.

The unusual pairing of grapes and fresh rosemary called to me. Plus, the recipe only requires five ingredients, all of which I had. Finally, the instruction steps were few in number and simple to execute. I did tinker (of course), using a smaller tart pan and making the tart a bit less sweet. But, the basic premise is as I found it. 

This recipe is perfect both for Fall and our Progressive Eats holiday cocktail party theme. Red grapes are now plentiful in stores. Besides, they make a welcome change from pumpkin everything. An 8-9-inch tart pan will make generous slices for four, but you could easily make smaller slices for a cocktail party. While it is best the day you make it, leftovers will keep for 1 day refrigerated. 

Ingredients for the Tart

• The tart ingredients are easy to find if you don’t already have them on hand.
• Don’t be intimidated by the puff pastry in this recipe. I like Trader Joe’s  puff pastry because it is all-butter and not expensive. (Trader Joe’s doesn’t pay me – I just love the store and its products.) But if you want to make this tart vegan, just use an 0il-based puff pastry such as Pepperidge Farm. Either type contains two individually wrapped rolls of dough in a box, which is enough for two tarts. 
• I get fresh rosemary from a bush growing in my neighbor’s yard. If you don’t have your own rosemary bush or a generous neighbor, buy a small amount at the grocery store. 

Tips for Making a Grape and Rosemary Tart

• Keep the pastry dough chilled – This recipe only requires a light roll or two to make the pastry roughly into a square. You can easily do that if the dough is still chilled when you work with it. If you don’t have a rolling pin handy, you can even use a clean wine bottle for this small amount of shaping. 
• Don’t sweat the small stuff – This tart is rustic and simple. Expect a few uneven places where you pinch the tart sides and revel in them. If you don’t know how to crimp the edges of the tart, watch a video like this one.
• Level of sweetness – I gave a range, rather than a specific amount of sugar in the recipe. Grapes vary in sweetness. Also, some people prefer a sweeter tart, while others go for one with a more savory taste. Personally, I’m fine with less sugar and more lemon juice than the original recipe. 
• Preventing burnt crust – If the edges of the tart are browning too quickly (before the tart is fully baked), cover them. If you have the right size pie shield, that will work. But for this tart, I cover the edges by putting strips of foil over them, leaving the center of the tart uncovered. 
• Liquid at the end – This is not a Great British Baking Show-type dessert. As you cut into it, liquid will ooze out. While you can scoop it back onto the slices or save the liquid for another use, there is no avoiding it. How much depends on the grapes. My first tart had just a bit, while my second one had much more. So, with that second tart, I poured some off, saving it for later. After the tart was long gone, I still had a sweet-but-also-savory addition to my morning yogurt.

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is a Holiday Cocktail Party, and our host is Liz who blogs at That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats it’s a virtual party. The host for the month chooses the theme and members share recipes on that theme suitable for a delicious meal or party. Then you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. So come along and see all of the delicious and inspired dishes!

5 from 2 votes

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Roasted Red Grape and Rosemary Tart

This 5-ingredient tart is perfect for a simple dessert or a holiday treat.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword grapes, puff pastry, rosemary, tart

Servings 4 servings

Author Laura

Ingredients

• 1 roll store-bought puff pastry Have flour on hand for dusting on the pastry mat or board and the pastry. It is not part of the recipe per se.
• 14-16 ounces red grapes A scant pound of grapes (or a bit less) is about what you'll need.
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 - 1 & 1/4 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely diced

Instructions

1. Defrost the frozen puff pastry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Roll out the puff pastry (still chilled) on a well-floured pastry mat or board. Gently roll it close to a 12-inch square. (No need to be precise.) Line an 8-9 inch tart pan, folding and crimping the edges of the pastry with your fingers. Freeze the dough in the pan for about 5 minutes.

3. Mix the grapes, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Let them sit for a few minutes, until the sugar begins to dissolve.

4. Place the grapes on the chilled tart dough in a single layer, then scrape the rest of the sugar and lemon juice mixture on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking after about 20 minutes to make sure the pie crust edges are not getting overly brown. If the crust is browning too quickly (before the tart is done), put foil around the edges of the tart to prevent the crust from burning.

5. Once it is done, remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle the diced rosemary on top. Let the tart cool down to room temperature before serving.