I have managed to keep two very healthy and characterful cats alive for more than seven years, and with minimal issues (I mean, one tries to eat poisonous plants every chance he gets and the other had to get like 5 teeth removed last summer which miraculously solved some behavioral issues, but for a seven-year stretch that is PRETTY GOOD.) However, I am on the losing end of a lifelong struggle to grow plants, indoors or out.
It is not for lack of trying. I do the research. I buy the right specimens for the environment and stick to the suggested watering instructions. But even succulents have proven too weak to withstand life in my home. Outdoors, the balcony and terrace are both extremely sunny and incredibly hot, and despite my resolute attempts to keep up with the watering, filling the can in the bathtub and sloshing it up and down the stairs just about every day, I would not say my plants have typically thrived.
But this year, I might be onto something. My herbs are looking bushy and healthy. And more importantly, my four balcony tomato plants are almost six feet tall and- wait for it- BEARING TOMATOES. Like an overprotective mom, I count them every morning, getting excited at the ones that were flowers just a few days before and are finally becoming fruit. And despite the first tomato back in July succumbing to blossom-end rot (RIP), a vigorous watering schedule seems to have cleared up the problem.
Maybe you also have 11 green tomatoes ripening in your garden, or maybe your local farmers market is overflowing with all shades, shapes and sizes of them. Either way it’s the dog days of summer and tomato season is in full swing. And you might be coming up short with uses for your harvest.
Enter the tomato tart. As usual with anything made from puff pastry, this recipe is equally good for an after-work dinner (put the frozen puff into the fridge before you leave for work, and it’ll be ready for you at the end of the day) or for weekend guests because it’s beautiful. And, with peak-of-the-season tomatoes, absolutely delicious. It’s a play on a frangipane tart, but with a savory spread (made with ground almonds, breadcrumbs, ricotta, garlic and thyme) and it’s the perfect vehicle for showcasing a tomato harvest. I got mine from the farmers market, but you can bet that as soon as my 11 balcony tomato-lets ripen, they are headed for puff pastry heaven.
Ingredients
- Scant 1/2 cup / 140g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, beaten
- About 1/12 cups / 65g fresh bread crumbs
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons / 80g ground almonds
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 6 1/2 tablespoons / 100g ricotta
- Scant 3 1/2 tablespoons / 20g finely grated Parmesan
- 2/3 cup / 15g thyme leaves
- 13 oz. / 375g all-butter puff pastry
- Sunflower oil, for greasing
- 2 1/4 lb. / 1kg medium tomatoes (about 10), cut crosswise into slices 3/4-inch / 1-cm thick
- 24 black wrinkly olives, pitted (1 3/4 oz. / 50g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F.
- Using a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and aerated. With the machine running on medium speed, slowly add the eggs. If the mixture separates, add some bread crumbs to bring it back together and keep on adding the eggs. Stop the machine, add the bread crumbs, almonds and garlic, and work until everything is just combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the ricotta, Parmesan, half the thyme leaves and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Fold gently, until just combined, then set aside.
- Roll out the pastry into 2 rectangular sheets each about 8 by 12-inches and 1/16-inch thick. Grease 2 baking sheets with a little bit of sunflower oil and lay your pastry pieces on top. Use an offset spatula to spread the almond mixture evenly over the pastries, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edge. Lay the tomato slices on top of each rectangle in 3 long rows, with a fair amount of overlap in the rows and between them. Sprinkle the olives and remaining thyme over the top. Drizzle the tomatoes with half the olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a good grind of black pepper.
- Place the tarts in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven temperature to 400°F and continue baking for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the base is golden. At the halfway point, switch the pans between the racks and rotate them back and forth to ensure the tarts color evenly. Once cooked, remove them from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and serve.
Notes
From Plenty More
August 17, 2017 at 8:18 pm
I can’t wait to try this.
Jerry