Crumble, cream, and color packed into one flavorful tart; serve warm or cold!
Heading to the farmer’s market seemed like the appropriate end of summer activity. Incorporated into this tart are the juiciest, tastiest tomatoes I have ever had. From colorful heirloom to cherry to just your ordinary vibrant reds, the crunchiest, tiniest, funkiest, scariest, and prettiest tomatoes are packed into this tart.
Trust me, I’m not one to put tomatoes on everything. Some people just love these acidic fruits, but I’m more of a green fruit and vegetable lover (Green Farro Salad). However, this tomato tart surely does the trick to convert you into a tomato god or goddess.
The cheese mixture in this tart tends to be on the heavier side so if you’re not into ricotta, feel free to omit it, and use a cottage or farmer’s cheese. In addition, if you only prefer asiago and parmesan and are short on time, you could always make the tart with puff pastry instead of the traditional pâte brisée. Even add cheddar cheese!
Pâte brisée is the French term for “short pastry,” a rich, flaky dough that does not puff up when baking because it doesn’t contain any leavening agent, such as baking powder or baking soda. However, don’t confuse a pâte brisée with the pâte sucrée I made for this Peach Strawberry Galette with Spiced Vanilla Ice Cream. A pâte sucrée contains sugar, and a pâte brisée is simply flour, salt, butter, and cold water. And then of course there is the pâte sablée, the richest of the tart dough, which is usually on the crumbly side. You may find it ridiculous, but the differences between each of these pastry types make all the difference when preparing your sweet treat or savory appetizer like this tomato tart.
Watch the above video, and truly impress by making this vibrant, pretty addition for any event. Enjoy!
– Anessa 🙂
P.S. Don’t forget to tag your creations with #foodfinessa
Heirloom Tomato Tart with Ricotta, Parmesan, and Asiago
Pâte Brisée
- 1-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp of salt
- 2/3 cup of cold, unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup of cold water
Cheese Filling
- 1 cup of ricotta, any type
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, grated
- 1/2 cup of asiago, shredded
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- pinch of pepper
Tomatoes
- 1 large heirloom tomato
- 1/2 medium-sized red tomato
- 5-6 cherry, heirloom tomatoes
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- basil ((optional))
- To make the pâte brisée, add flour, salt, and cold butter to a food processor. Blend until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add cold water, and mix once more until mixture just comes together. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Grease a 4 x 14″ fluted tart pan. Grab dough from fridge, and on a well-floured surface, roll it out until it is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Lay dough onto the tart pan, pat into the sides of the pan, and cut the excess. Refrigerate for additional 15 minutes.
- To make the cheese mixture, add all filling ingredients to a large bowl, and with a whisk, mix well. Set aside.
- Grab tart dough from fridge, and bake for 15 minutes, or until sides are barely golden.
- Slice large tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick, and chop cherry tomatoes in half. Place in large bowl. Add remaining tomato ingredients, and stir gently. Be careful not to break up the tomatoes. Set aside, and allow to marinate.
- Add cheese mixture to tart shell, and make sure to spread it evenly. Bake for additional 10-15 minutes.
- Once tart is done baking, add chopped basil, sliced tomatoes, and more chopped basil. Slice, and enjoy 🙂