Tomato Week: Tomato Tart

I combined different recipes to come up with this tomato tart and I have to tell you - I'm in love (if one can be in love with tomato tart that is)!!! This is SO good!!!  Where has this been all my cherry tomato growing life? It was quite easy to make this delectable tomatoes layered on top of a light cheesy filling baked in a buttery flaky crust heavenly tart - Dave and I both went back for seconds we liked it so much,  and I had to stop myself from finishing the tart at dinner so I'd have leftovers for breakfast!

I used a Bobby Flay tart recipe for the crust, and winged the filling after reading so many different recipes - I just picked different elements that sounded good to me and fortunately it doesn't seem to need to be an exact science (which is the best recipe haha) and it turned out perfect. Please, please don't be afraid of making this homemade crust, I usually buy packaged store-bought pie crust but this tart crust is different than store pie crust and worth the few minutes it took to whip it up - and it's very forgiving so nothing to be scared of. After I rolled it out to fit in the tart pan it totally broke apart, but I just took all the pieces and pressed them together in the pan and up the sides - you'd never know it didn't roll out perfectly. And it tastes great!

Crust:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks) cold, cut into 1/2" pieces
• salt and pepper
• 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons cold water

For the dough: Combine the flour, butter, and some salt and pepper using a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in 2 Tablespoons of the oil and the water just until the bottom of the mixture begins to cling together. If necessary, add an additional Tablespoon of oil. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. 

My Note: I used a food processor to make the dough, and it took all 3 Tablespoons of oil to bring the dough together. 

A quick tip for rolling out dough - my mom bought me this big wooden cutting board that has a channel around the edge to collect meat juices while carving, an added bonus is the other side is completely flat and I roll out dough on it instead of getting flour and the mess all over the counter. 

roll the dough out in a circle a bit bigger than the tart pan

normally to transfer the rolled crust to the pan you gently roll it up onto the rolling pin,
and then lift it over to the pan. this dough was too crumbly tho and fell apart
when I tried to do that. no worries, just press it all into the pan and things will be fine! 

Tart:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese, divided (I used mexican blend because it's what I have on hand - mozzarella, cheddar, fontina, monterey jack...whatever you want)
• 3 Tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (I used basil, thyme, and flat parsley mixed together), divided
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• salt and pepper
• 30 cherry tomatoes (more or less, your call), rinsed and dried, then cut in half

1. roll out the crust to approx. 14" circle to fit into a 12" tart pan with a removable bottom. Fit the crust into the pan and trim the top edges to fit. If the dough breaks apart like it did for me just press the pieces into the pan to completely cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Chill for 15 minutes. When you're ready to bake, prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (that helps keep the crust from puffing up) then bake at 450' for 9-10 minutes until just barely browned. Remove from oven and then reduce the oven temperature to 375'. 
2. after removing the crust from the oven and while it's still warm, spread 1 tablespoon dijon mustard all over the bottom and sprinkle on about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Set aside.
3. make the creamy cheesy layer: mix together mayonnaise, parmesan, about 1/2 cup shredded cheese, salt and pepper, and 2 chopped herbs in a small bowl; spread on the melted cheese in the tart pan.
4. after cutting the tomatoes in half, sprinkle with the additional 1 Tablespoon chopped herbs and layer them on top of the cheese layer, lightly pressing them into the filling. 
5. bake at 375' for 20-25 minutes until heated thru and the crust is golden brown.
6. remove from oven, and separate the tart pan (remove the side piece but leave the tart on the pan bottom for stability), cut into 6-8 pieces and serve.

Note: I wouldn't put the tomatoes on top of the tart until you are ready to bake it, I think they'd make things too wet and soggy if you let it sit too long before baking. Also, after cutting the tomatoes in half I put them on a paper towel to blot out as much moisture as I could without smashing them!

I hope you like this tomato tart as much as I do! Let me know ;). 

spread mustard and 1/4 cup cheese on the bottom of the hot crust

top with the mayo/cheese/herb layer

right before baking add the halved tomatoes, lightly press them into the filling

crust recipe found here

one year ago: renewed my CPR certification
two years ago: ice cream cake