Zucchini tart, and cleaning out the cupboards

So. I'm moving in ten days. I'm pretty psyched about it, because it'll cut my commute by about two thirds. There's just the thing about packing up everything I own and putting it on a truck, hoping it doesn't get broken in the half hour between here and there and then figuring out where it all goes in a new space... anyway.

What this impending shift in location means is that I need to lessen the volume of stuff I'm putting on the truck. So it's time to clean out the cupboards, figure out what to bring with me and what to scrap together into a meal of some sort. Today, I took a peek at the freezer and I discovered a box of phyllo dough, two bags of frozen peas, about 10 shrimp, and a box of puff pastry.


I also had a zucchini and some ricotta cheese left from a pizza I made late last week and I basically made the same thing on a different crust. I believe using puff pastry means I should call it a tart, so voila! Behold my zucchini tart. (And prepare yourselves for more recipes using things like frozen ravioli, a half a pint of cherry tomatoes, a tube of prepared polenta and a snack sized bag of pretzels... or something.)

Zucchini Tart
I'm sure this would also be delicious with summer squash or small eggplant, sliced very thinly, or some kind of soft, herby cheese like boursin, if you wanted something punchier.

one sheet frozen puff pastry (I had Trader Joe's in my freezer)
1/2-3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano, or another hard cheese, finely grated
one medium zucchini, thinly sliced
about a tablespoon of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
zest of 1/3 - 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper

Follow the package directions for defrosting your puff pastry - I put mine in the fridge for a few hours and then on the counter for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until it's about 1/8 inch thick. Or, if you can't find your rolling pin because your house is slightly in shambles, press out the dough with your fingers as best you can. Place the dough on a parchment lined sheet pan.

Spread the ricotta over the pastry, but don't go all the way to the edges. Season the tart with salt and pepper, then scatter the mint and half the grated cheese. Layer on the zucchini, then zest the lemon over the whole thing and scatter the other half of the grated cheese.

Fold the edges of the tart over and place in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes, rotating the pan half way through, or until the edges are golden brown. Wait five minutes for the tart to set a bit before slicing.