Appetizer Tomato, Olive and Goat Cheese Tarts
Appetizer · French Cooking Classes · Provencal Recipes · TasteThis appetizer, a Provence Gourmet recipe for tomato, olive and goat cheese tarts, is delicious. We prepared the tarts for a starter course during one of Gilles Conchy’s cooking classes. If you are looking for hands-on, fun classes in Provence, then look no further. Gilles puts you to work preparing traditional Provencal recipes and some of his personal creations.
The tarts include a few easy steps, making the pastry shells, preparing the green olive tapenade, chopping tomatoes and the goat cheese topping. It’s not complicated, and the result makes for a lovely starter course with a green salad or a savoury bite with cocktails.

Tomato Olive Tarts - Appetizer
There are a few steps to this recipe, but don't be put off. There is nothing complicated, and you will love the result. As a bonus, the little tart shells are a bit like savoury shortbread so you can serve those on their own. And, if you make too much olive tapenade, it will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Ingredients
For the Tomato Tart:
- 250 g (1 cup) flour
- 125 g (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese grated
- 125 g (1/2 cup) melted butter
- 1 egg
- a pinch of Salt
- 3 heirloom tomatoes washed and chopped
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- a small bunch fresh thyme
For the Green Olive Tapenade:
- 350 g (2 cups) green olives pitted
- 50 g (2 oz) pine nuts lightly grilled
- a handful of fresh basil washed
- 1 can Tuna in oil drained
- 2 tsp capers
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- pepper
Topping and Serving:
- 2 rounds fresh goat cheese
- 2 cups mixed greens lettuce
Instructions
Prepare the Tart Shells:
- Mix the flour, parmesan cheese, butter, egg and salt all together until combined.
- Shape dough to the size of your molds (muffin tin or another pan).
- Bake 10 minutes at 350F° to brown slightly.

- Once out of the oven, spread 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard on the crusts.
- Chop the tomatoes and put aside.
Prepare the Green Olive Tapenade :
- Taste an olive and if too salty soak them in a bowl of water for an hour.
- In a mixer, add the drained olives, tuna and capers, the slightly grilled pine seeds, a handful worth of fresh basil leaves, olive oil and pepper.
- Mix it all together to form a paste.
- If the mixture is too dry add a little more oil.
Prepare the Tarts:
- Scoop the tapenade into your pastry shells.
- Add the chopped tomatoes on top of the tapenade.
- Drizzle with olive oil, add salt, pepper and thyme.
- Top with a piece of goat cheese.
- Put the tarts back in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Serve barely warm with seasonal lettuce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Contact us using the form (below) to book a Provence Gourmet Class:
Error: Contact form not found.
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
Where to Eat Lunch in Aix-en-Provence?Related Provence Articles
Homemade French Lemon Tart to Beat the Blues
July 17, 2020
This spring when were house-bound due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it would have been easy to feel down. But, that’s not the way we roll in our home, we start baking and cooking to lift the spirits. When life gives you lemons you might make lemonade. I will always make a French Lemon Tart instead. I …
Meyer Lemon Pie a Slice of Sunshine
August 7, 2020
It’s my observation that people who enjoy cooking are split between folks who like baking and those who prefer not to deal with desserts. Within the baker category, it gets even more complicated, with those who don’t like baking pies. I love making pies, and this Meyer Lemon pie, I call Arizona Sunshine pie. If …
Pissaladière a Delicious Flatbread Recipe from Provence
February 17, 2023
A traditional recipe from Provence, pissaladière is a flatbread with caramelized onions and often a few anchovies as garnish. Although pissaladière is commonly found in bakeries throughout Provence, the dish originates from the City of Nice on the French Riviera. Given the city’s proximity to Italy, which only became part of France in 1860 with …
Delicious Fried Squash Blossoms with Fontina
June 9, 2021
Taking away the flowers of some plants makes them stronger and happier. Basil, for instance, will branch and provide you with much more pesto fodder if you ensure it never blooms. However, when we take away a zucchini blossom to stuff, fry, and eat, will it mean more zucchini to harvest and leave anonymously on …
No Comment