Tomato Tart

This is a delicious way to use fresh grown tomatoes when you’re looking for something a little more fancy than a simple salad.  Behold, the heirloom tomato tart:

It starts with a flaky savory pastry crust made from flour and lots of butter.

It has a very thin layer of Dijon mustard atop the flakey pastry.  It lends a very subtle piquant flavor and is topped with a layer of rich gruyere cheese.  Next, an orderly layer of sliced fresh heirloom tomatoes.

A sprinkling of fresh thyme, plus salt and pepper finishes things off.

We enjoyed ours to celebrate Sylvie’s 2nd birthday.  We told her it was French pizza, and she bought it! 

Tomato Tart

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced gruyere cheese
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• drizzle of olive oil

Pastry Crust

(makes enough for 2 tarts). I love the recipe from Alice Water’s Art of Simple Food.

• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp cold butter, cubed

Combine flour, salt, and butter in food processor.  Pulse a few times; just until butter is in large irregular pieces.  Drizzle in the water bit by bit, pulsing in between, until dough forms a craggy ball.  Divide in two, shape into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.  When ready to use, take out one disc and let soften on counter for 10 minutes then roll out to fit the tart pan.
Preheat oven to 425. Dollop the mustard on the dough and spread very thinly with a rubber spatula.  Arrange thinly sliced (or shredded) gruyere atop the mustard layer, followed by a layer of tomatoes.  Lay the tomatoes in concentric circles, overlapping slightly.  Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.