Heirloom Tomato Tarte

This is a beautiful, quick and easy appetizer when you are hosting a Soiree or just want something that is kind of like pizza, but at the same time isn’t like pizza at all. (make it, you’ll see what I mean.)

Everyone brings some wine and a snack for my book club - sounds awesome, right - and this is one that I made for it! I love to use heirloom tomatoes for this - they are really be beautiful, and can be much more flavorful than a vine tomato. Dillner Farms has some gorgeous ones during the summer, if you are local to Pittsburgh be sure to check them out.

This is a crowd pleaser, doesn’t require that many ingredients, and can be made in a pinch. Keep reading for all the details!

Ingredient list

Puff pastry - find it in the freezer isle - you’re welcome :)

Heirloom tomatoes

Crème Fraîche - can sub with plain Greek yogurt if needed

Pesto - homemade is nice if you’ve got the time

Basil

Shallot

Red Chili Flake

Olive Oil

Roll out your puff pastry a bit so it is a nice square shape (or rectangle, whichever works) Lay the puff pastry on a baking sheet coated with some cooking spray, and pop into a 350-375 ish degree oven - I give that range because not all ovens will cook exactly at the same rate. Par-bake the pastry for about 12-15 minutes. This will help ensure the middle isn’t soggy when you add in all of your toppings.

You will also want to do some prep-work with the tomatoes before you add them in. Slice the heirloom tomatoes thinly and lay out on paper towel covered baking sheets. You can salt them pretty heavily and I also added freshly ground black pepper. Let these slices of tomato just sit for a bit; I would give it at least 15 minutes. The paper towels will absorb a lot of liquid from the tomatoes, which is going to help prevent the tarte from getting soggy - nobody likes a soggy tarte.

Once par-baked, remove the pastry from the oven and spread on your Crème Fraîche. The thickness of the spread is really up to you! You can go light or a little heavy-handed and these will still be delicious. Layer on the tomato slices, and pop the whole thing back into the oven, for roughly 30 minutes or until you start to see some nice browning on the pastry edges.

Slice your tarte into serving-sized squares. Time for toppings - add as much or as little as your taste buds desire. Dollop on some full-fat ricotta, finely diced shallots, julienned basil, some dabs of pesto, a pinch of chili flake, and a drizzle of some quality olive oil.

This is meant to be shared but I get it if you want to sit down with a nice bottle of red and keep it all to yourself.

Cheers and I hope you enjoy!