Tomato Tart for My Sister
More and more over the years, I find myself drawn to tomatoes in the summertime. Although I hate to admit that I don’t necessarily enjoy fresh tomatoes (blasphemy!). I prefer them cooked. Yet the beauty in the misshapen fruits and the varying sizes and shades of red, orange, golden yellow and even green, beg to be celebrated and enjoyed on a warm summer day. Even the smell of vine ripened tomatoes brings up memories. It was fitting that today Facebook pulled up a memory from five years ago of my talented sister Michelle’s colorful tomato harvest. Tomatoes will always be a reminder of my sister Michelle, who I’m pretty sure was looking over my shoulder as I recently made a tomato tart.
One of my sister's tomato harvests.
My Tomato Sister
I can picture my sister in the garden lovingly tending to her tomatoes and hear her voice recite the different varieties by name. I was in awe of her gardening knowledge and abilities. She may have not had the formal credentials, but in my mind, she was a master gardener. She was also a seasoned canner and cook. I have memories of calling her in September and she’d be elbow-deep canning tomatoes, making tomato sauce, salsa, and whatever else she did with all those tomatoes. (One year she had over 100 tomato plants.) She’d laugh if I asked her what recipe she used to make a tomato tart. Because she, of course, wouldn’t have needed a recipe to throw one together.
Late Summer Tomato Tart
Late summer tomato tart that you can pick up and eat with your hands.
Once or maybe twice a year I make a tomato tart. Here at the coast, the tomatoes arrive later and haven’t been as plentiful in quantity or variety as in the valley. But I did benefit from several neighbors sharing their tomatoes and from Moon River Farm’s tomatoes at the Manzanita Farmer’s Market.
This year I decided to adapt a recipe from Ina Garten and use my rectangular tart pan that I don’t use nearly enough. This recipe calls for the tomato tart to be baked flat like a pizza on a sheet pan. I ended up using a tart crust recipe (minus the vanilla) from Joanna Gaines and laying it into my 14” x 4.5” tart pan with a removeable bottom. Use your favorite crust or use store-bought. If you want to be adventurous - make this crust from Alison Roman that uses polenta and parmesan, or try this NY Times recipe with an olive oil crust.
I like the rectangular shape of a tart.
For the filling, I pretty much eyeballed the amounts, but below gives you a guide. You could use oregano or substitute another cheese if you desire. Red pepper flakes would be nice or even a little lemon zest mixed in.
Filling ingredients for rectangular tart pan:
About 2 pounds firm medium tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick – I like to mix the sizes and colors of tomatoes.
Rough 1/2 cup fresh parsley
Rough 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Up to a tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (enough to spread a light layer on bottom crust)
1/2 to 3/4 pound grated Gruyere cheese
1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
A sprinkling of lemon zest and red pepper flakes (optional)
To make:
Prepare your crust and form dough into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. If you’re using a round tart pan, start with a circle.
In the meantime, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. In a food processor, add the parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper and process until finely minced. With the processor running, pour the olive oil down the feed tube and pulse until combined. Add the mixture to the bowl with the tomatoes and toss gently. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove dough from fridge. Flour your surface and roll dough into a rectangle an inch or so larger than your pan. You’ll most likely have extra dough for another use. Lift the dough and lay into the tart pan pressing the edges and trimming the edges.
Place parchment paper into tart shell and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven, lift out weights and poke holes in bottom of crust.
Let the crust cool for 15 minutes and then brush Dijon mustard on bottom of crust with pastry brush. Sprinkle an even layer of Gruyere on the pastry, followed by most of the Parmesan (saving some for the top). Arrange tomatoes (let liquid drip off) overlapping and to show off the different colors and sizes. I like to add small cherry tomatoes at the end. You can add any extra garlic and herb mixture on top of the tomatoes — but strain it first so you don’t have to much liquid in your tart. Add any reserved cheese across the top.
Bake for 30 more minutes. Cool slightly, and remove from tart pan before cutting. Serve warm or at room temp..
A version of the same Anna's Tomato Tart recipe made a few years ago baked on a flat pizza-style crust.
Deb Perelman’s Roasted Tomatoes and White Beans
I couldn’t leave without sharing this tasty tomato snack that combined with a Caesar salad became dinner for us one summer evening. You bake halved small tomatoes (cherry, grape, sun gold varieties) with whole garlic cloves, S&P and red pepper flakes with olive oil in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a fork to lightly mash the tomatoes and garlic. Drain a can of white beans and add to mixture with more S&P. Put back in oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil cut into a chiffonade. Serve with crostini.
This and a glass of wine with my sister would be a perfect summer evening.
