Raccoon and Lobster

A poor harvest from my own garden meant that I was constantly low on tomatoes. No matter how many I purchased from the farmer’s market, we were still always low on tomatoes when the need arose. Finally, the boyfriend picked up a bounty of heirloom tomatoes, which, of course, I now had to figure out a way to use up.

Enter the tomato tart. Refrigeration and baking time aside, this recipe is fast. Less than 15 minutes of work total. I was really pleased with how little good it was given how little effort I put in.

Tart dough (aka pâte brisée for you francophiles)
(makes enough for two 8″ tarts)
5.5 oz (1 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 stick butter, chilled and cut into small chunks
~3 tablespoons ice water

You can use the pastry cutter method for this, but I’m a recent convert to the use of a food processor for making flaky crusts. Either way, you want to cut the butter in to the flour, salt, and sugar, leaving pea sized chunks. Gradually add in the ice water until the dough combines and is no longer crumbly but is also not wet or soggy. Wrap with plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.

When the dough is properly chilled, it’s time to roll it out. You’ll need about half for an 8″ tart. Roll the dough out to 1/8″ thickness on a lightly floured surface, making a circle large enough to line the bottom and the edges of your tart pan. Gently lay it on top of your tart pan and press it down into the corners. If you let the excess dough lay over the edge of the pan, you can run your rolling pin over the pan and it will cut off the excess, leaving a neat shell in the pan.

For the filling, you can have some fun varying the ingredients. The one I’m making tomorrow with the leftover dough will have bacon and roasted garlic.

Tart Filling

ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4″ thick
4 oz gruyere cheese, grated
2 eggs
splash of heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
shredded basil

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Edit: As mentioned in a new post, I’ve discovered how to ensure that the crust stays flaky instead of getting soggy. Before putting in the tart filling, first parbake the crust by itself  for about 10 minutes, until it just gets a touch of color. Then brush it lightly with an egg white wash and let that cool to form a barrier against the moisture of the filling.

Sprinkle half of the cheese in the pan and then lay out slices of tomatoes on top. Beat the eggs, add in the cream, salt, and pepper and pour into the pan. Cover with remainder of cheese. Sprinkle basil on top and bake for about 25-30 minutes (for an 8″ tart), or until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted. Serve warm.