Turn Your Notions Upside-down With This Smoked Salmon Tart

I grew up with smoked salmon on a bagel. In Charleston there was always one place that served a decent bagel. And since moving to New York a decade ago it's been a staple no matter what. There's something about the combination of bread, cream cheese and the fatty perfection of lox. 

But it is also somewhat of a cooking cop out. When I want to ignore actually doing anything I will buy some good smoked salmon from Russ and Daughters, order a dozen bagels from my favorite spot (Bagels on the Square in my neighborhood) and stick out a brunch that requires pretty minimal effort. It is so delicious but feels a little bit cheap. 

I was in Austin recently at the Lake Austin spa teaching a class about Bring It! and they had this poached egg dish with salmon and cumin. It was such a delight to see smoked salmon with a bit of spice to it. And it immediately made me want to change up my own lox routine.

So the smoked salmon tart was born. It has all the ingredients of a typical bagel but with little twists- the light puff pastry replaces the bagel; a dash of that cumin gives it a little bit of depth; and some time in the oven makes it a warming treat. And the truth is that it is almost as easy as a regular bagel would be. 

So if you want to give your brunch routine a bit of a break, here's an easy one for a crowd. 

Smoked Salmon Tart

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 puff pastry
2 cups spinach  
4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup diced cherry tomato
1 small red onion
1/2 pound smoked salmon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out the puff pastry. Place the spinach on top and then dollop the cream cheese across. Add the tomatoes, onions and smoked salmon on top. Sprinkle the cumin and salt on top. Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut and serve.

Note: you can serve this cold and it is still great. You can make it up to a day ahead if you would like.