Every Wednesday, the local newspaper here prints a food section, full of recipes, stories and other fun food-related things. A few weeks ago, this section was all about French cooking, and featured this stunning tomato tart recipe, taken from Recettes en Aveyron, a cookbook by René Husson and Philippe Galmiche and published in France.

Being a tomato-lover, I had to make it. Given that it’s the end of the tomato season, I figured there’s no better time. Oh, and I bought my first tart pan ever this past weekend, so I was all set. And wow, what a beautiful thing this was.

It tasted absolutely wonderful. Its flavours were dynamic and rich, but still simple. You definitely want to use sweet, tasty tomatoes – if not, I have a feeling this tart would fall flat. The tomatoes take centre stage, so if you like tomatoes and have some really ripe, in-season ones, you’ll love the tart.

The mustard on the bottom adds a depth to the flavours, and the two types of cheeses blend perfectly. Some tomatoes, a little bit of parsley, and you’re done – a tart delicious and beautiful enough to serve with any meal you may be having.

I made a few changes with the recipe, so here’s the original with my alterations in italics.

Tomato Tart or Tarte à la tomate
Adapted from Recettes en Aveyron by René Husson and Philippe Galmiche

1 unbaked pie shell, 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter
3 large or 5 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, and their peel (Peeling them is necessary – don’t skip this step!)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) Dijon mustard (I used Keen’s hot mustard, and more than a tbsp)
200 grams (2 cups/500 mL shredded firm cheese*) (I used about 1 1/2 cups fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons (30 mL) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons (30 mL) crumbled blue cheese
Olive oil

*Aged cheddar or other strong, white cheese.

1. Drop tomatoes one at a time into a large pot of boiling water, remove after 30 seconds with a slotted spoon (and place in an ice bath) and peel will come off easily. Save peel and chop it. Slice peeled tomatoes thickly, about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick.

2. Spread bottom of pie shell with mustard.

3. Spread cheese over mustard.

4. Arrange tomato slices in overlapping circles on cheese.

5. Insert chopped peel between slices. (I skipped this step, and I am happy I did. I don’t think chopped peel would’ve been the right thing in here at all!)

6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, parsley and blue cheese. Drizzle with a little oil.

7. Bake in oven preheated to 400 degrees F (200 C) for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.