Boursin Zucchini Tart

This Boursin Zucchini Tart, baked in flakey puff pastry and scattered with toasted pine nuts, is a tasty dish that is not only delicious, it's pretty!

We first discovered the magic of Boursin when we lived in France back in the early 1990s, when it was still available in only the original garlic and herb version. Now that soft, creamy cheese comes in several flavors, including the original, Cracked Black Pepper, Shallot & Chive, Basil & Chive, and Caramelized Onion and Herbs, Fig & Balsamic and Lemon & Dill. I think there’s even one with truffles, but don’t quote me. 

If you have a box of Boursin, you have the start of a good recipe! And, no, I’m not being paid to say that. In fact, I’d like to tell you that, at least in France, there are store brands of copycat cheese that I often buy instead of the real thing when I’m there, but I’ve never seen that option elsewhere. In addition to the 150g rounds, both the Boursin and store brands also come in little foil-wrapped pats, like butter, perfect for spreading on a slice of warm toast. 

We do have Alouette in the US, which comes close, but no store brands that I’m aware of. Please correct me if I’m wrong! Flavored cream cheese is NOT the same consistency.

Boursin Zucchini Tart

Do not skip the salting, draining and drying steps for the zucchini. They do release a lot of extra liquid which will make your tart crust soggy otherwise. I give the weight of my zucchini below to use as a guide. A little more or less will not make a difference. 

Ingredients

5.3 oz or 150g Boursin, at room temperature

1 egg, at room temperature

freshly ground black pepper

3 zucchini, approx. weight 14 1/2 ox or 411g

Fine sea salt

2 tablespoons finely minced onion

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil

Ready rolled, all butter puff pastry circle, 8 oz or 227g

For garnish:

1/4 cup or 37g pine nuts, optional

Method

Whisk together the Boursin and egg then add a few generous grinds of black pepper. Chill until ready to use. 

Trim the ends off then slice the zucchini thinly. 

Put a single layer in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Add another layer and salt again. Continue until all of the zucchini is salted in the colander. Leave to drain for an hour or even two if you have the time. 

When draining time is up, give the colander a good shake then dry the zucchini off with paper towels. Tip the slices out onto a clean cloth and spread them out. Roll up the cloth and set aside for a few minutes to dry off completely.  

Add the minced garlic and onion into a large mixing bowl with the olive oil. Mix well. 

Add the zucchini to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly. 

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Unroll the puff pastry with its baking parchment on a baking pan then roll/fold the edges up to create a raised edge. 

Prick it all over with the tines of a fork.

Spread about two-thirds of the Boursin mixture inside the raised edge. 

Starting on the outside, line the tart with the zucchini, overlapping as you go. 

When you’ve used up all of the zucchini, sprinkle any garlic and onions left behind in the bowl on top. 

Drizzle the remainder of the Boursin mixture over the top. 

Bake for 10 minutes in your preheated oven then rotate the pan to ensure even baking and bake for a further 10 minutes or until puffed and golden.

Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over a medium fire, if using. 

Shake the skillet frequently so they don’t scorch. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. 

When the tart is baked, remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack. 

Slide it to a serving plate then sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts. 

Cut in big wedges to serve. 

Enjoy!

I can hardly believe it but Alphabet Challenge 2025 is coming to an end with this 26th post, brought to you by the letter Z! Stay tuned in the New Year for the 2026 edition. Yes, we all enjoyed this so much that we are going to start over again for the third time on January 7th. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Z recipes below:

• A Holiday Zaza or Two or Three - Cheers! from Culinary Cam
• Baked Ziti from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Boursin Zucchini Tart from Food Lust People Love: 
•  Grilled Zucchini Bruschetta Bites from Sneha’s Recipe
• Lemon Eton Mess from A Messy Kitchen
• Simple Zero Cream Creamy Butternut Squash Soup from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Zacatecas Beef Stew from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Zeppole from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Zeytin Piyazi from Mayuri’s Jikoni

Here are all of my posts for the 2025 alphabet challenge:

A: Roasted Asparagus Soup

B: Blistered Sugar Snap Peas

C. Jersey Royal Chicken Chorizo Traybake 

D. Small Batch Dried Apricot Jam 

E. Whipped Espresso Cream 

F. Fish Sauce Roasted Chicken 

G. Extra Herby Gremolata 

H. Smoked Herring Spread 

I.  Fresh Cherry Ice Cream 

J. Small Batch Strawberry Jam 

K. Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad 

L. Lobster Butter 

M. Milk-Roasted Chicken 

N. Nocciolata Swirl Meringues 

O. Jersey Octopus Ceviche 

P. Easy Pastina Soup 

Q. Shrimp and Quail Egg Garden Salad 

R. Celeriac Mash with Scallop Roe Butter 

S. Fresh Scallop Sashimi 

T. Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing 

U. Umeboshi Calamansi Lime Juice

V. Mirabelle Plum Vodka 

W. Welsh Rarebit Potatoes with Cavolo Nero 

X. Homemade XO Sauce 

Y. Yamitsuki Addictive Cabbage 

Z. Boursin Zucchini Tart – this post! 

And to refresh our memories, since this is the last Alphabet Challenge post of the year, here's my list from 2024:

A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 

U. Spicy Urad Dal -

V. Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

W. Honey Walnut Brittle 

X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge 

Y. Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas 

Z. Zucchini and Bacon Pangrattato

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Zucchini and Bacon Pangrattato

Buttery golden zucchini with bacon pangrattato is a great combination of tender and crunchy making this dish one of our favorite sides. I have been known, in fact, to make a meal of it!

During the summer, when the zucchini abounds in our local honesty boxes and farm stands, I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare it. While searching, I came across a Nigel Slater recipe online that sounded interesting. For the record, I love Nigel Slater and, in my book, he can do no wrong. 

HOWEVER, in the instance of this recipe, Nigel was clearly, ahem, mistaken. He called the breadcrumb topping gremolata! You and I both know that gremolata is an Italian condiment consisting of chopped parsley mixed with lemon zest and garlic. And it would be very tasty sprinkled on some zucchini but what Nigel actually made was a pangrattato! Because breadcrumbs. 

Potaytoe, potahtoe. Still delicious. 

Zucchini with Bacon Pangrattato

I use the very handy real bacon crumbles I buy in Costco for this dish but it’s never crispy enough, hence the extra frying step. If your bacon is already cooked extra crispy, you can skip that. Just put the bacon and butter in the pan and add the rosemary and garlic right away. This recipe is adapted from the one I found online (link above) but it is originally from Nigel’s 2013 book, Eat, The Little Book of Fast Food.

Ingredients

1/3 cup or 40g crumbled cooked bacon

2-3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 short sprig rosemary

1 clove garlic

Several sprigs parsley

About 1 oz or 28g day-old bread

zest small lemon

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

3 medium zucchini, approximate weight 340g

Method

Slice some day-old bread thinly. 

I like to use baguettes because they get pretty hard the same day I buy them. This pangrattato is the perfect way to use a stale baguette up that might otherwise be thrown away.

Cut the slices up in to smaller bits and pulse them in a food processor to make breadcrumbs. 

Pull the leaves off of the rosemary and parsley sprigs and mince them and the garlic finely. Zest the lemon. 

In a large skillet, fry the bacon with one tablespoon of butter, until it gets crispy.

Add the minced rosemary and garlic. 

Stir for a minute or two then add the fresh breadcrumbs. 

Add more butter if the crumbs look dry. Let these cook until golden, turning them regularly, then toss in the minced parsley and the lemon zest. 

Season generously with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. When all is crisp and golden, remove from the pan and wipe it with a paper towel. 

Trim the ends off of the zucchini and then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut each half in diagonal pieces. 

Sauté them in the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and some butter until they are golden on all sides. 

Season well with salt and pepper. 

Pile them in a serving bowl.

Top with a generous helping of the bacon pangrattato. 

Store any leftover pangrattato in a sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Enjoy! 

Whew! That’s a wrap on our Alphabet Challenge for 2024! This is the 26th edition, brought to you by the letter Z. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Z recipes below:

• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Easy Ziti Bake
• Culinary Cam: Zabaglione alle Mandorle
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Zuppa Toscana
• Blogghetti: Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
• Food Lust People Love: Zucchini with Bacon Pangrattato
• Sneha’s Recipe: Zucchini Balls & Chicken Bake -Keto
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Kolokithipites
• A Messy Kitchen: Zucchini Jam
• Magical Ingredients: Zhoug Zalouk Paratha Pockets
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Zesty Italian Balsamic Baked Oyster Crackers
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Za’atar Swirls

Here are all my posts for the 2024 alphabet challenge:
A: Anchovy Deviled Eggs
B: Spicy Braised Ginger Pork Belly
C: Cecilie's Favorite Coleslaw
D: Cajun Chicken Eggplant Dressing
E: Everything Pizza Tartin
F: Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
G: Grape Juice Jigglers
H: Crispy Bacon-wrapped Chicken Hearts
I: Raspberry Rhubarb Ice Cream
J: Java Dry Spice Mix Chops 

K. Korean Barbecue-style Meatballs 

L. Easy Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry 

M. Fresh Mint Sauce 

N. Miso Butter Noodles 

O. Spicy Orange Braised Short Ribs 

P. Homemade Piri Piri Sauce 

Q, Cointreau Glazed Orange Quick Bread 

R. Leek and Lobster Mushroom Risotto 

S. Cheesy Sausage and Egg Casserole 

T. Stuffed Turkey Cutlets 

U. Spicy Urad Dal -

V. Spicy Vinegar Braised Chicken 

W. Honey Walnut Brittle 

X. Xmas Eggnog Fudge 

Y. Yemma Aouïcha – Eggplant with Chickpeas 

Z. Zucchini and Bacon Pangrattato - this post!

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Zucchini Feta Muffins #MuffinMonday

Finely grated zucchini and crumbled feta add flavor and moisture to these tasty zucchini feta muffins. They make an excellent breakfast or snack. 

For the last several years we have enjoyed having a young couple live next door to us. Through the pandemic, the birth of their first baby girl, winter ice storms and summer hurricanes, we have supported each other. 

We were so excited for them this summer when they found a bigger house in our same neighborhood to buy but very sad for us. We miss having them next door. 

But, in better news, we have a new neighbor! She has moved into Houston to be closer to family and we are looking forward to getting to know her. Of course, I’ve already baked her some welcome cookies, but I decided perhaps she needed some muffins as well. 

Zucchini Feta Muffins 

This recipe makes 9 regular muffins. I highly recommend buying feta in brine and crumbling it yourself. I find the already crumbled feta much drier. Plus what you don't use keeps fresh in the brine for ages.

Ingredients

1 small zucchini (approximate weight after removing seeds: 120g)

1 1/2 cups or 188g flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup or 120ml milk

1 egg

4 oz or 112g crumbled feta, divided

Method

Cut the ends off of the zucchini, then cut it in half and scoop the seeds out and discard (or compost) them. 

Grate the zucchini onto a paper towel. 

Fold the paper towel over to cover the zucchini and roll it up in a cloth towel. Wring as much juice as you can out, set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line 9 holes of a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin cases. Or use nine silicone muffin cups on a baking tray.

Separate out a small amount of the crumbled feta for topping. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cayenne. 

And in the grated zucchini and feta. 

Use a fork to gently mix the zucchini and feta into the flour to coat. 

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg and milk. 

Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry and fold until just combined.

Divide the batter among the muffin holes and top each with a little of the reserved feta crumbles. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. 

Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Share some with a neighbor! 

Enjoy!

It’s the last Monday of the month so that means it’s time for Muffin Monday! Check out the lovely muffins my blogger friends are sharing today. 

• Chocolate Chip Nut Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Fruit Curd Muffins from A Messy Kitchen
• Mocha Oatmeal Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pumpkin Apple Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Zucchini Feta Muffins from Food Lust People Love

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all of our lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

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