Tomato Tart

It usually starts in the spring, but this year, it has been unseasonably cool and rainy, therefore delaying the kick-off of  the French national obsession, le pique-nique. Which means lots of tomato tarts.

The French eat tomato tarts like we would eat, oh, a tomato sandwich. It’s everyday. Common. Rustique.

It sounds fancy, but it’s not.

Tomatoes and crust, basically. It’s kind of like a pizza, if you think about it.

So you may add cheese. Or not. Fresh herbs if you’ve got ‘em. Dried if that’s all that you happen to have on hand (which I often do). It’s really your call. But if you want to be authentique, then you must spread a little mustard on the dough first.

As weird as it sounds, the mustard is what makes this tart special. It gives it a bit of heat, and for some reason, after it’s cooked (Frenchy Elfin magic?), it’s not too mustardy. The first time I made this, I used  regular Dijon mustard, but the next time (and the two times after that), I tried the grainy one, and liked it better.

You can always buy a pre-made crust, and skip the crust-making step, but I don’t recommend this. It only takes 10 minutes to make this little crust, followed by a half-hour in the fridge, so you might was well pour yourself a glass of vin rose and just chill out while the crust is doing the same.

Tomato Tart

Makes one 11-inch (28 cm) tart

INGREDIENTS

3-4 large tomatoes , sliced 1-inch thick
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
4 teaspoons herbes de Provence or fresh herbs, such as basil or thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper
ready made crust or olive oil and honey tart crust, recipe follows

WHAT YOU DO
Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

In an uncooked tart pan lined with the refrigerated dough, spread the grainy mustard all over the bottom, and then put as many tomatoes as you can on top (they’ll shrink, so squash them in). Sprinkle the herbes de Provence, salt and pepper over that, and slide into the oven for a half-hour.
Eat warm or room temperature, with a drizzle of olive oil.

Cowgirl Tip: Fresh herbs, such as thyme or basil, are great on this tart. I often add goat cheese or Roquefort, or whatever I’ve got in the little cheese drawer.

Wheat-Oatmeal Tart Crust

Adapted from a recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier, from her blog, Chocolate and Zucchini

Makes one 11-inch (28 cm) tart crust

INGREDIENTS

200 grams (2 cups) whole wheat flour (or use half wheat and half all-purpose*)
50 grams (2 oz or about 1/4 cup) oatmeal
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
120 ml (1/2 cup) ice water

WHAT YOU DO

Grease the tart pan with a tiny bit of olive oil if it doesn’t have a non-stick coating.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oatmeal, and sea salt. Add the honey and oil and mix a bit — by hand — and then add the water and mix just until the dough comes together in a ball. 

Now, on a floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle large enough to fit tart pan. Trim the edges and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

*For those living in France, use bread flour for all-purpose. It works like a charm.