Terrific Tomato Tarts Recipes

ANNA'S TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Place the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas. Add the egg yolks and pulse a few times to combine. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and roll it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Put the parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced. With the processor running, pour the olive oil down the feed tube and process until combined. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes and toss gently. Set aside.
• On a well-floured board, roll the dough out to an 11 x 17-inch rectangle and transfer it to the prepared sheet pan. Don't worry if it doesn't fit exactly; you want it to cover most of the bottom of the pan but it can be a little rough on the sides. Place a second sheet pan directly on the pastry and bake for 15 minutes. (You can also line the pastry with foil and fill it with dried beans.) Remove the top sheet pan (or the beans and foil). Using a dinner fork, pierce the pastry in many places. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the pastry during baking; pierce any spots that bubble up. Allow the crust to cool for 15 minutes.
• Lower the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the mustard on the crust with a pastry brush. Sprinkle a thick even layer of Gruyere on the pastry, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Place overlapping tomatoes in rows on top. If there is a little garlic and herb mixture in the bowl, sprinkle it over the tomatoes, but if there is liquid in the bowl, strain it through a very-fine-mesh strainer, discard the liquid, and sprinkle the garlic and herb mixture on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of Gruyere and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Cool slightly, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

TERRIFIC TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment; brush with 1/2 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon bread crumbs. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Repeat layers, being careful to brush oil all the way to edges. , Fold each side 3/4 in. toward center to form a rim. Spread with pesto and sprinkle with half the feta cheese. Alternately arrange the red and yellow tomato slices over cheese. Sprinkle with pepper and remaining feta. , Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crispy. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove parchment before cutting. Garnish with basil.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Make pastry:
• Blend together flour, butter, shortening, parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.
• Gently squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together without falling apart, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. (Do not overwork dough, or it will become tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather both portions of dough into 1 ball, then pat into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim dough flush with rim. Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.
• Fill tart shell:
• Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a platter. Arrange one third of mozzarella in bottom of shell and drizzle with one third of pesto. Arrange one third of tomato slices, overlapping, on top of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering twice.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Fit the rolled-out dough into a 9-inch tart pan, allowing the edges to rise about 1/4 inch above the rim of the pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
• Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes until beginning to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Place in a colander to drain excess tomato liquid for 20 minutes.
• Spread 1/4 cup pesto in an even layer over the parbaked tart crust. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the pesto. Sprinkle the fresh basil and oregano over the cheese.
• In a medium bowl, prepare the custard: Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper until combined.
• Place the sliced tomatoes evenly over the cheese and herbs in overlapping concentric circles.
• Pour the custard evenly over the tomato slices. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the liquid. Bake until the filling is set and won't jiggle when shaken, about 35 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving warm. This tart can also be served at room temperature.

CHEF JOHN'S TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place 2 pieces of puff pastry onto a silicone-lined baking sheet. Press the short seam of 1 piece onto the other to form the rectangular base of the tart. Cut seams off the other 2 pieces of puff pastry and press them into the edges of the base to act as the border.
• Freeze dough until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Score border with a knife, making shallow cuts 1/4-inch apart. Press the bottom of a fork onto the seam in the middle and poke holes all over the base.
• Bake tart shell until lightly golden and partially puffed, about 10 minutes. Press down on the base using the bottom of a fork. Avoid pressing border. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Spread mustard over the inside of the tart. Arrange tomato slices into a single layer on top and cut a few slices in half to fill in the gaps. Season with salt and pepper. Generously sprinkle herbes de Provence on top. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and drizzle most of the olive oil on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is well browned and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature on the baking sheet or transfer to a wire rack using 2 spatulas. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the tart and sprinkle fresh oregano, parsley, and thyme on top.