Tomato Tart

I’ve been patiently waiting for my tomato plants to bloom all summer long. Every day for the past few months I’ve been tending to them.  As a part of my own little family, I’ve been caring for them, watering and fertilizing, staking and weeding them, and have been excited to make some fresh treats with my soon to be tomatoes. Although, the squirrels would say otherwise! They have almost single handily taken my tomato plants down, yielding me a very, very small crop!

They were completely relentless.. almost every day I’d find broken branches, runaway tomatoes and chunks taken out of an almost perfectly ripe tomato (that I was so patiently waiting to enjoy myself). I’d hoped that the presence of Sophie (my guard dog, I say that loosely) would deter them, or perhaps some netting would stop them but nothing seemed to work. My plans for canning tomato sauce this year are not happening. Thanks squirrels! But I do have enough tomatoes to make some smaller treats like this fresh tomato tart.

I absolutely love making fresh dishes with my homegrown veggies and herbs. It makes me feel grounded and grateful to Mother Nature. It amazes me what we can create with a little hard work and love. I’ve always dreamed of having a hobby farm and living off the land.  For now, my city boxed plants will have to do!

Ingredients

The tomatoes that did survive were juicy and full of sweetness making this tart absolutely perfect. There is no need to fancy things up, just simple ingredients, letting the tomatoes be the focal point of flavour! I used a short-crust pie recipe and brushed the pie with Dijon mustard, added fresh herbs, some caramelized onions and sprinkled the tart with feta. The fun part about making tomato tarts is you can add your favourite cheeses and herbs.  For a richer and gooey tart adding a brie cheese, or a burrata would be absolutely lovely! I like the idea of keeping some of the tops of the tomatoes on as it gives the tart a rustic feel (the thicker the slices the juicier the tomatoes).

• Fresh tomatoes
• Fresh Herbs; basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• Cheese; feta, brie, burrata or camembert, etc.
• Dijon mustard
• Onion; shallots or white onion
• All-purpose flour
• Unsalted butter
• Egg
• Oil
• Salt

What to pair with a Tomato Tart

This tomato tart is perfect for a light lunch served with a big fresh salad. It would also make a lovely appetizer added with some fresh meats and cheeses for a little get together with friends. For a main meal add your favourite meat; grilled sausage with a salad and fresh corn on the cob.

How to Make a Tomato Tart

Step One: Blind Bake- Make your pastry and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll the dough out approx. 2 inches larger than your tart pan. Gently pick up your dough and place it in the pan, trim the edges and poke the bottom all over with a fork. Cover the dough with parchment paper or foil, fill with pie weights, uncooked rice or beans. Bake.

Step Two: Once baked brush the entire tart with dijon mustard and your favourite herbs; basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.

Step Three: Fill the tart with caramelized onions, thick slices of tomatoes and your cheese of choice. I’ve tried brie, feta, and gruyere cheese. They were all dramatically different and I enjoyed each one! Top with more fresh herbs.

Step Four: Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy.

Tomato Tart

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

This gorgeous tomato tart is a show stopper and makes a lovely appetizer or a light meal to share with friends. Change up the cheese to your personal desire; brie, burrata, feta, goat cheese, etc. The recipe makes one large tart or two smaller tarts.

• Author: Alie Romano
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Yield: 1 large tart or 2 smaller tarts 1x
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Short-crust pastry

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 1 large egg
• 1–2 Tablespoons of cold water
• pinch of salt

Tomato Filling

• Approx. 1 dozen small tomatoes, 5-6 large tomatoes (enough to overfill the tart)
• 1/3 cup caramelized onions
• 1/2 cup feta cheese (or cheese of your choice)
• 1–2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• a handful of torn basil leaves (or a mixture of herbs)

Instructions

1. Make your Pastry – In a food processor add flour, butter and salt. Pulse until fine crumbs form. Add egg and continue to pulse until mixture comes together. Add one tablespoon of water and pulse until the dough forms into a ball. If your pastry is still too dry, add another tablespoon of water until pastry comes together. Be careful not to add too much water or overpulse the dough! Flatten dough into a disc, cover in plastic and let the dough rest in the fridge for approx. 20-30 minutes or up to a day, until ready to use.
2. Make your Caramelized Onions – Heat oil and butter in a pan on low heat, add onions and stir to coat onions in the fat. Add a pinch of salt. Slowly on low heat cook the onions until browned and soft. Remove from heat and set aside. 
3. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
4. On a prepared work surface, roll out the dough into a large circle (larger than your tart/flan dish approx. 2 inches). Gently re-roll the dough onto your rolling pin and lift the dough over your tart pan. Place the dough into your dish and press down.  Cut any dough that’s overhanging. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the pastry all over.
5. Place a piece of foil or parchment paper over the pastry and add pie weights and bake for 20 minutes (you can use uncooked rice if you don’t have pie weights). The pastry should be partially baked. 
6. Prep your Filling – Slice tomatoes and cheese in thick slices (the bigger the better, I also left the tops/stems on a few tomatoes for a rustic look).  Tear or cut herbs into smaller pieces, set aside.
7. Build your Tart- Once the pastry has baked, carefully brush the entire tart with dijon mustard. Sprinkle herbs over the bottom and some of the cheese and caramelized onions. Layer tomatoes and onions over the entire surface. Top with more cheese.
8. Bake – place the tart back in the oven for another 30 minutes or until all the tomatoes are roasted and the crust is browned.
9. Let the tart rest for 10 minutes before removing from the dish and enjoy at room temperature.

Notes

You can also serve the tart with balsamic glaze.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice of 12
• Calories: 225
• Sugar: 2.3g
• Sodium: 187mg
• Fat: 14.8g
• Saturated Fat: 8.6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 19.3g
• Fiber: 1.4g
• Protein: 4.4g
• Cholesterol: 52mg

Keywords: Tomato, Tart, Savoury, Pastry, French Tart

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