During the summer months, I often spend twice as long at the farmers’ market. You can find me at the tomato stand sorting through heirloom tomatoes. I like to have a variety of colors. The deep red, almost purple ones are especially pretty. As far as shape, the knobbly, deeply ridged ones are fun, but for this tart, I selected the more traditional round shape.
In the past, I’ve baked the tart and for the most part, the tomatoes have kept their color, but this time I wanted a fresh version. Not only can I appreciate the vibrant hues but also the sweetness and juiciness of the tomatoes. For the filling, the inspiration was leftovers from my fridge cheese drawer. Yep. I have a dedicated section just for le fromage. The ricotta is light and refreshing, mascarpone gives a bit of richness and the Parmesan adds a nice salty bite. You can experiment with proportions and types of cheese but I was very happy with this combination. The filling yields a thin layer, because I want the tart to be more about the tomatoes.
I like to serve slices of the tart with a side of arugula lightly dressed in vinaigrette with a bit of salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Heirloom Tomato Tart
9″ tart
Crust:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water
Filling:
5-6 heirloom tomatoes, assorted colors and sizes
freshly ground pepper and flake salt for garnish
basil, chopped, for garnish
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (5 oz) fresh ricotta cheese, drained, room temp
1/4 cup (2 oz) mascarpone cheese, room temp
1/4 cup (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
1/2 lemon, zested
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
For the dough:
In a food processor, add flour, sugar, salt. Pulse until combined. Add the butter. Pulse until butter is the size of small peas. Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between each addition, until the dough just comes together. Turn out dough onto your work surface and form into a round disc. Place in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11″ circle, 1/4″ thick. Fit into a 9″ tart pan with removable bottom or tart ring on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Roll a rolling pin over the top of the tart pan to trim off the excess dough from the rim. Dock the dough with a fork. Place the tart pan in the freezer for 5 minutes or until firm.
Remove the tart pan from the freezer and line with parchment. Fill with pie weights, I use rice, and bake for 20 minutes or until it looks dry on the bottom. Gently remove parchment and weights. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a rack.
For assembly:
Slice the tomatoes 1/4″ thick and lay them on a paper towel to remove excess liquid.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses. Add the garlic, lemon and salt. Stir till combined. With an offset spatula, spread the cheese filling evenly into the tart shell. Arrange the heirloom tomatoes on top, overlapping and alternating colors. Season with flake salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with basil. Serve immediately.