Basil Tomato Tart Recipes

TOMATO BASIL TARTLETS

Steps:

• Special equipment: a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter
• Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Using the tines of a fork, prick the pastry all over. Using a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 16 rounds of pastry. Place the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry rounds. Place another baking sheet directly on top of the parchment paper to keep the pastry even while baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove the top baking sheet and the top piece of parchment paper.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of tapenade on each pastry round. Place about 1 tablespoon of cheese on top. Arrange 2 pieces of tomato on the cheese. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chopped basil on top.
• Transfer the tartlets to a platter and garnish with a pinch of fleur de sel.

BASIL TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Place crust in a 9" pie pan, flute edge and press bottom with a fork.
• Pre-bake according to directions.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Cool on a wire rack.
• Cut tomatoes into wedges; drain on paper towels.
• Arrange tomato atop melted cheese in the pie shell.
• In a food processor bowl, combine basil and garlic.
• Process till coarsely chopped and sprinkle over tomatoes.
• Combine remaining mozzarella, mayonnaise, parmesan and pepper.
• Spoon over basil mixture, spreading evenly to cover the top.
• Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or till top is golden and bubbly.
• Serve warm.
• Makes 8 appetizer or 4 main dish servings.
• Leftovers are even better.
• Serve at room temperature and DO NOT reheat.

TOMATO TART WITH BASIL CRUST

Steps:

• To make the crust, place the tomato paste, basil, butter, egg, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add 1/2 cup of flour and process just until incorporated. Add the remaining flour and pulse just until dough is crumbly. Press the dough together with your hands. Divide in half and shape each piece into a rectangle that is 3 or 4 inches wide. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough to a rectangle slightly larger than 12 by 5 inches. Trim to 12 by 5, preferably using a fluted pastry cutter. Place side by side on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before baking.
• To make the filling, place the cream of wheat in a bowl. Bring the tomato juice to a boil and whisk into the cereal. Stir in the Parmesan. Mix in the oil, vinegar, garlic and celery. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the baking sheet and bake the crusts until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• To serve, preheat the broiler. Spread half of the filling over each crust. Overlap the tomatoes in rows over the filling. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each one. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Place 4 inches under the heat source and broil until the cheese is browned and the tarts are heated through, about 5 minutes, watching carefully. Slice into 4 or 6 servings, sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.

BASIL TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Roll pastry to fit a 9-in. tart pan or pie plate; place in pan. Do not prick. Line pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. , Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Remove foil; bake 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Reduce heat to 375°. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over the hot crust. , Cut each tomato into eight wedges; remove seeds. Arrange over cheese. , In a food processor, process the basil and garlic until coarsely chopped; sprinkle over tomatoes. , Combine mayonnaise, Parmesan, pepper and the remaining mozzarella; spoon over basil. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is browned and bubbly, 20-25 minutes.