French Tomato Tart Food

TARTE AUX MOUTARDE (FRENCH TOMATO AND MUSTARD PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. With a fork, poke holes into the bottom of the crust.
• Spread the mustard over the bottom of the pie crust in an even layer. Cover the mustard with the Swiss cheese in a layer. Arrange slices of tomato, overlapping in a spiral from the edge to the center, covering up the cheese. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes, and sprinkle the tart with the herbes de Provence.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crust has browned, the cheese has melted, and the tomatoes are curled at the edges, about 20 minutes.

FRENCH TOMATO TART

Steps:

• In a food processor or bowl, combine flour and butter. Whirl or rub with your fingers until fine crumbs form. Add egg and whirl or stir with a fork until dough holds together. Pat dough into a ball, then press evenly over bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan with removable rim.
• Bake in a 325° oven until crust is pale gold, about 30 minutes (about 25 minutes in a convection oven).
• Meanwhile, cut tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out seeds. Cut tomatoes crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices, and lay on towels to drain. Save ends.
• Remove baked crust from oven and turn oven to 400°. Spread mustard over bottom of crust, then sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Fit largest tomato slices snugly in a single layer on cheese. Cut remaining tomato slices into pieces to fill the gaps; reserve extra tomato pieces for other uses.
• In a small bowl, mix oil to blend with tomato paste, shallots, garlic, thyme, marjoram, and oregano. Spread over tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Arrange anchovies and olives on tomatoes.
• Bake in a 400° oven until cheese is lightly browned, about 25 minutes (about 18 minutes in a convection oven). Remove pan rim. Cut the tart into wedges and serve hot or warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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.

FRENCH TOMATO TART

Steps:

• 1. Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands, or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture. 2. Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring the mixture until the dough holds together. If it's not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water. 3. Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. 4. Once the dough is large enough so that it will cover the bottom of the pan and go up the sides, roll the dough around the rolling pin then unroll it over the tart pan. "Dock" the bottom of the pastry firmly with your fingertips a few times, pressing in to make indentations. 5. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC). See note. 6. Spread an even layer of mustard over the bottom of the tart dough and let it sit a few minutes to dry out. 7. Slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the mustard in a single, even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. 8. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh herbs, then arrange the slices of goat cheese on top. Add some more fresh herbs. 9. Bake the tart for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is cooked, the tomatoes are tender, and the cheese on top is nicely browned. Depending on the heat of your oven, if the cheese doesn't brown as much as you'd like it, you might want to pass it under the broiler until it's just right. Note: You might wish to check the tart midway through baking and turn it down a bit in case the top is getting too dark, before the crust and tomatoes appear to be cooked.