The *Best* Tomato Tart

Hi, guys! The first field ripened tomatoes arrived in the farmers market last week.

Not a huge crop yet.

And they aren't supermarket perfect. Field grown heirloom tomatoes are fragile and delicate, but so ripe and sweet and juicy. Yum.

I've been waiting, and thinking about making a tomato tart for weeks now.This is not a pizza! And it's just an idea I had, not a real recipe. I rate it A+ though, if I do say so myself.

Most of the online tart recipes call for puff pastry, which I don't care for with veggies, only for fruit tarts. And maybe call for a cheese and egg sort of custard which sounded like much too much work. I was trying for ''rustic'' and vaguely recalling the Julia Child tarts I made a few years again when I was working my way through the last Child cookbook.

Instead I made a traditional 2 crust pie crust.

 This mix was in the fridge so I used it to use it up. (Not great, a bit tough. But I was being lazy.)

I rolled one half out into a not very lovely circle.

The other half, the usual top crust, I rolled into little logs and used to make an edging, a little wall to hold the cheese.

Crimped it pretty. Put in fridge.

Tomatoes prep: I sliced the tomatoes a scant quarter inch.

Layered them on a plate and paper towels,

with another plate on top. I salted them lightly, too, to draw out the juice. We don't want watery soggy tarts, do we?

I let the tomatoes rest about 1/2 hour. I preheated oven to 425*, baked the tart shell for 10 minutes, unfilled.

Filling: I used two kinds of cheese: first, a very ripe brie, cut in thin slices. I set the brie slices all over the pie shell, then layered on the tomatoes. [Gently wipe off the salt as you work.]

I used lots of herbs, dried because I didn't have fresh on hand, but fresh would be wonderful. I was going for a Not Pizza vibe, so no basil or oregano. Used a lot of tarragon, fennel seeds, black pepper, lemon pepper. A sprinkle of sugar.

The second cheese is just a supermarket crumbled goat cheese. Spread on the top.

Baked for about 35 minutes.
The brie sort of melts away to a creamy sauce, the goat cheese remains intact on top.

I should have photographed the tart slice with the big sweet butter lettuce I served on the side. The tart experiment was a success! It came out just as I pictured. I loved the pop and surprise of the non-traditional for tomatoes herbs, and the sweetness of the tomatoes and the brie. (Only the crust needs work. Next time I will make homemade.)

I'll definitely make it again. we loved it!(Though I suppose it it sky high in calories?) My kids and I are not terrible fond of uncooked tomatoes so this is a beautiful way to use the farmers market's field picked sweet tomatoes.
I also reheated the leftover section of the tart and cut it into small squares to serve at ''cocktail'' time the following day. Wonderful first course.

Try it! Or a version. Stay away from traditional pizza cheeses but you can sub feta or ricotta insalata for the goat cheese.

Final market note--I must show you the last of the peonies.

 Aren't the golf ball-y buds adorable.

And here's some of her cute vintage containers. This week she used old glass milk bottles. I love it. (Te seller probably thinks I'm a nutcase, oohing and aaahing over her milk bottles,lol!)

Now on to zinnias. In coffee cans?

PS I love hearing what you all are cooking--or NOT cooking! I plan to make Kelley's mango salsa, from last week's comments, to go with a grilled, marinated pork tenderloin. Doesn't that sound delicious! Thanks, Kel!


love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....