The first thing that comes to mind when I think of tomatoes is my grandfather's garden. At least 10-15 tomato plants of plums, cherries, and big boys perfectly lined up, and barricaded from the pesty groundhog that resides under his shed. Every year his goal is to have at least one tomato by the 4th of July (altho that goal isn't always accomplished). Once the middle of July rolls around, an overwhelming abundant amount of plump vine ripened tomatoes clutter his kitchen counters. tomatoes are the iconic vegetable (in culinary terms) of the summer. Salads, sauces, soup, roasted, fried, grilled - tomatoes are a versite culinary ingredient that can be enjoyed in more ways than one! To bad I hate them.. now wait a minute.. before you go questioning my very existence, hear me out. I can’t for the life of me bite into a juice tomato; It's a texture thing for me. I do on the other hand enjoy them in any other applications: sauces, salads, soups… you get my drift. That's why even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy this tomato tartlet hors d’oeuvre. These tartlets are similar to a margarita pizza, but on steroids. The brightness of the tomato, creaminess of the ricotta, and flakiness of the puff pastry make it perfectly balanced. I brought these delicious tartlets to a picnic, and were gone within minutes! These cute tartlets will elevate any party, or get together, and please even the pickiest of eaters, and did I mention they are super easy to make? Win, win, WIN. Tomato Tartlets with Ricotta and Basil Blossoms TIME: 45 mins YIELD: 60 tartlets Temp: 400F Special Equipment: Pastry brush 3 inch biscuit cutter Ingredients: 8 oz skim milk ricotta cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon salt 2 lbs. campari tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch slices 2 packs (4 sheets) of thawled Pepperidge Farm puff pastry olive oil, for brushing Salt, to taste Course cracked pepper, to taste basil blossoms (or chopped basil) 1.Preheat oven to 400F. In a blender, puree ricotta, lemon juice, and salt for 30 seconds or until completely smooth, and spreads easily. 2.On a floured surface, roll out puff pastry into 12”x 9” rectangle. Working quickly, use a 3” biscuit cutter and cut dough into circles. Make sure any puff pastry left out on counter is covered, and stays cold; this ensures the puff pastry will be flaky. Once circles are cut out, place them on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, and brush each puff pastry circle with olive oil. 3. Place 1 teaspoon of the ricotta mixture in the center of each puff pastry circle along with one tomato slice. Season with salt and cracked pepper and bake for 15 mins, or until light golden brown. 4. When finished baking, brush a small amount of olive oil on top of tartlets to give the tomato some shine. Garnish with basil blossom and enjoy.