Va va voom! Kaboom! Cue the fireworks!
This year’s Fourth of July celebration started with a fabulous barbeque at Joan’s house, complete with ribs, chicken, corn, ice cream, brownie pudding, and key lime pie. But before we even took our first bites of all those goodies, a sexy tomato tart arrived, courtesy of our dear friend Carole. It made a grand entrance and was almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. Here’s the recipe.
Tomato Tart with Herbs
Recipe type: Appetizer
Don't be put off by the addition of anchovies, even if you don't normally like them -- you won't taste them and they will disappear in the mixture. Also, try not to be intimidated by the crust which is just a classic pate brisee. It's really easy and has inspired even the most tentative bakers among us [read: Joan] to try it because it was so delicious.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ⅔ cup ice water
- 8 ounces cold unsalted butter, diced
- For the tart:
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
- 3 pounds cherry tomatoes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
- freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- To make the crust:
- Before you begin, make a big cross shape with two pieces of plastic wrap.
- Put all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar) in the bowl of a food processor.
- Add the cubes of butter and pulse, then slowly pour in the ice water until the mixture is the consistency of peas or gravel.
- Dump the dough onto the plastic and wrap the dough, pressing it into a disk. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove a few minutes before rolling out for the recipe.
- To make the tart:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roll pastry into a rectangle, approximately 13" x 12". Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Shower the pastry with the Parmesan or pecorino and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pastry from the oven and cool briefly.
- Toss tomatoes with the anchovies; add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the tart.
- Combine the parsley, chives, oregano, and nutmeg and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
- Return tart to the oven and bake for another 25 minutes. Cool before sliding onto a tray or board to serve.