It's 4th of July Weekend and you may be in need of a decisively wonderful dish. Something with visual appeal and abundant with summer taste. Here it is.
Upside-down cakes are always a visual treat. You want to be in the kitchen when the pan is flipped and the surprise comes sliding out. I’m used to sweet versions, but Eric Lanlard offers us this savory recipe, one ideal for the peak tomato season of summer.
The title of this recipe says “heirloom” recipes and you certainly want to shop for those. As the picture shows, the kaleidoscope of color is sure to offer grace to your table. Surely this recipe will never be the same twice but it will always be a summer favorite.
Spring Garden Green Tart
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients:
- 1 pound store-bought puff pastry or homemade
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Bunch of thyme, leaves picked
- 12 mixed heirloom tomatoes, halved
- ¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- Bunch of basil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Take a 10 inch diameter, 1V2 inch deep ovenproof tart dish, (or a tarte tatin pan, if you have one). Roll out the pastry dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out a large circle 3 inches bigger in diameter than the dish.
Rub the inside of the dish with the olive oil. Scatter the thyme leaves over the bottom of the dish.
Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then place them in the dish cut side up (they must be packed tightly together because they will shrink). Bake in a preheated oven, at400°F, for 25 minutes, then carefully pour off all the juices that have been released during cooking.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
Using a spatula, spread the mustard carefully over the pastry circle. Place the pastry, mustard side down, on top of the tomatoes and tuck in the overhanging edges to create a crust. Prick the pastry with a knife a few times to help release the steam.
Place back in the oven and bakefor25-3o minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Place a large plate over the pie dish, hold them together firmly, then turn them over so that the tart is on the plate, being careful not to burn yourself on any hot juices. Just before serving, sprinkle basil leaves over the top of the tart.
This is delicious served warm, alongside a cold salad of mixed green beans and fava beans with a sweet shallot dressing.
Source: Tart It Up!: Sweet and Savory Tarts and Pies