TUESDAY

Tomato Tart  |  Basil Caesar Salad

 

“The skin is a little thicker in outdoor-grown fruit but the flavor, like that of a free-range animal or bird left to cope with the elements, seems to have been cranked up a notch.  If the sun has been relentless in July and August, the initial snap of sharpness will be backed up by a deep, mellow sweetness that requires neither salt nor pepper.”  ~  Nigel Slater in Tender

Of all the culinary treasures Summer has to offer, the tomato has to be the brightest gem of the bunch for me.  Red, meaty, dripping with juice and the flavor…peppery and sweet all in the same bite.  Early in the season, we feast on succulent cherry tomatoes, often right from the vine, and the children have been known to devour an unattended bowl of these baby beauties as if they were eating popcorn…

But as the season progresses, we anxiously await the day when their larger cousins are ripe for the picking.  Take a look at what are garden is turning out this season…

As we approach September the fruit hanging heavy on the vine, once picked, needs very little fussing.  In fact, I can easily make a meal out of a sliced tomato, right off the vine and still warm from the afternoon sun, together with and an ear of fresh corn on the cob, hot and dripping with butter.  This evening’s tart is almost that simple.  The organic {store-bought} puff pastry crust is light and flaky and only adds the slightest taste of butter as it delivers the rich tomato, grassy olive oil and savory oregano in a single bite.

The finished tart…

 

Tomato Tart {adapted from Canal House Cooks Lunch}

• 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry crust
• Flour for dusting
• 2-3 tomatoes, cored and sliced
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped from the stems
• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Remove pastry crust from packaging and unfold onto a lightly floured surface.  Gently roll out the dough in a rectangular shape to fit your baking sheet {but no less than ¼-inch thickness}.  Transfer the pastry crust to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Using the tip of a small pairing knife, lightly score a thin border around the edges of the pastry crust.  Using a fork, prick the dough inside the border all over to prevent it from puffing excessively during baking.
4. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer over the pastry dough.  Scatter the oregano leaves over the tomatoes and drizzle with some olive oil.  Season with pepper.
5. Bake the tart for approximately 30-40 minutes or until the edges are crisp and browned.  Finish with a sprinkling of salt.

Accompanying our tart this evening is this Basil Caesar Salad…

We first had this salad a little over a week ago and  everyone here has been asking to have it again.  Nothing fancy, but the addition of fresh basil and Italian parsley to the very traditional dressing makes this a wonderful Summer edition of a classic salad.  Click here to view the recipe in my previous post.  The homemade croutons are the best!