Vegetarian Tomato and Basil Tarts

Drain the sun-dried tomatoes from the olive oil, reserving the oil. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tablespoon of the reserved oil, and the tomato paste in a food processor or blender until a paste forms. Add the herbs to taste. Note: Save the rest of the sun-dried tomato oil for other cooking or salad dressings.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Unroll the puff pastry dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Use a 4 or 5-inch round pastry cutter to cut rounds from the dough and remove the excess. Alternatively, cut the dough into squares or rectangles. Note: You can reshape the leftover dough and use it to make sweet puff pastry bites or another tart base

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water until combined, then brush the egg wash over the tart bases. Prick the center of each round with a fork.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, spread an even layer of the tomato paste over the center of the tart and top with 4-5 tomatoes. Return to the oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the pastry is golden, and the tomatoes are soft.

6. Serve warm, and garnish with grated parmesan, fresh thyme leaves and a pinch of black pepper.