Tomato Tart

Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch, Starter, Tarts

Cuisine: European, French, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 1 20

Cook Time: 1

Resting / Cooling time (overnight included): 8

Total Time: 10 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

A simple and buttery shortcrust pastry crust, with a thin layer of dijon mustard, topped with fresh tomato slices, and a sprinkle of salt and cheese on top. This fresh tomato tart is a delightful celebration of summer!

EASY - Very easy recipe with simple ingredients. However, to take it to the next level, I do recommend making the pastry crust from scratch as well, which will make this a more INTERMEDIATE level recipe.

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Ingredients

Pâte brisée dough

250 g all purpose flour about 2 cups (spooned and leveled)
125 g butter about 1 stick + ½ tbsp., softened (either unsalted or salted is fine)
½ tsp salt reduce the amount if using salted butter
60 g ice water or 1 large egg
Extra flour if needed
2 tbsp chopped oregano or 1 tbsp chopped thyme
Parmesan cheese optional

For the tart

1 lb pate brisee / shortcrust pastry dough recipe above, OR use store-bought
2 - 3 large heirloom tomatoes or slicing tomatoes
Salt
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Chopped herbs I use basil here
Black pepper I also used pink peppercorn here
⅓ cup feta cheese or goat cheese

To top

Olive oil
Honey

Instructions

Pâte brisée (use store-bought if not making from scratch)

While I highly recommend it, making this from scratch is optional. You can use store-bought shortcrust pastry for convenience.
In a large bowl, place the butter and salt.
125 g butter, ½ tsp salt
Mix the butter with a spatula to make it creamy, but not airy or fluffy. Make sure there are no lumps, and it looks nice and smooth.
Whisk the egg (if using) really well, and set it aside.
Finely chop the oregano, and set it aside.
2 tbsp chopped oregano
Add the flour and chopped herbs to the butter mixture and mix them in until the butter and flour form a crumbly mixture.
250 g all purpose flour
Add the whisked egg or ice water while mixing the flour. It should create flour lumps that form a dough when squeezed together.
60 g ice water
Bring the mixture together and fold over itself to form a smooth dough. But make sure not to mix it or knead it too much, as this will over-work the dough.
Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it with plastic wrap, and let it rest. You can allow the dough to rest in the fridge for about 1 - 2 hours, or at room temperature for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough to about a 3 - 4 mm thickness. If the dough is cold, then it can be rolled out on a lightly floured surface. However, if the dough is at room temperature, you will need to roll it out between two parchment paper sheets to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface.
Extra flour if needed

Line the tart pan

Transfer the rolled out dough into a 9 inch tart pan. If the dough tears, you can press or pinch it together to “seal it” again.
1 lb pate brisee / shortcrust pastry dough
Gently lift the dough and press it into the corners of the tart pan to prevent the dough from stretching when you're fitting it into the pan.
Trim off excess dough, leaving just about a 1 cm overhang. I like to fold this overhang into the tart edge to create a thicker side crust on the tart. Press it in to make the crust edge evenly thick. Then trim off any excess dough on the top of the tart pan using a sharp knife. (See images in the post for reference.)
Cover the tart with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Par-bake the tart crust

Preheat your oven to 375°F / 191°C.
When the oven is preheated, remove the chilled tart crust from the fridge. Use a fork to dock the crust.
Line it with a piece of foil or parchment paper and fill it with pie weights (you can use ceramic weights or beans or rice or sugar).
Transfer the tart to a half sheet pan and bake the crust for about 30 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven, and carefully remove the pie weights.
OPTIONAL - Spread some grated parmesan cheese / cheddar cheese on the bottom of the crust.
Parmesan cheese
Return the parbaked tart crust (with or without the cheese) to the oven and let it bake for about 3 - 5 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven and set it aside until needed.

Prepare the tomatoes

Wash the tomatoes and use a sharp knife to hull the top of the tomatoes.
2 - 3 large heirloom tomatoes
Slice the tomatoes horizontally, for slices that are about ¾ cm thick. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little sea salt and set aside.
Salt

Fill the tart

Spread the bottom of the tart with a thin, even layer of dijon mustard.
2 tbsp dijon mustard
Sprinkle the bottom of the tart with some chopped basil (optional).
Chopped herbs
Layer the tomato slices in the tart shell. The tomatoes can overlap slightly, but don't let them overlap too much. Cut the tomato slices into smaller pieces to fit into the gaps.
Break the feta or goat cheese into pieces and place it on top of the tomato slices. You can't spread the cheese evenly, but it can be dotted all over the surface.
⅓ cup feta cheese
Sprinkle black pepper on top (if using).
Black pepper

Bake the tart

Bake the tart on a half sheet pan, in the preheated oven (375°F / 191°C), for about 20 - 30 minutes, or until the crust becomes golden brown in color, and the cheese is caramelized on top as well.
Once baked, remove the tart from the oven. Drizzle some olive oil and honey on top. Then let it cool down before serving.
Olive oil, Honey
Cut the tart into slices and serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

Nutrition