The simple tarte à la tomate is a favourite French dish that makes use of all of those excess ripe summer tomatoes in the kitchen. This classic recipe is without cream or eggs in the filling but just a little kick of mustard smeared over the free-form pastry base.
Fresh from the garden: tomatoes, thyme, oregano
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe on sbs.com.au
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes
Equipment:
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Ingredients:
· 300g (2 cups) plain flour · 150g cold butter, chopped · 1 egg · 1 tablespoon cold milk · 2 tablespoons whoegrain mustard · A couple of heirloom tomatoes · 250g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes · 4 sprigs thyme, plus extra to garnish · 4 sprigs oregano, plus extra to garnish · Olive oil, to drizzle |
What to do:
For the pastry:
- Process flour, butter and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add whisked egg and milk, and process until a dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you wash the tomatoes.
For the filling:
- Wash all the tomatoes and drain in the colander. Slice the large tomatoes into slices.
- Wash the herbs and spin dry. Strip off the leaves and reserve.
To finish the dish:
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a 3 mm-thick round. Transfer to a large oven tray and remove top sheet of baking paper.
- Spread dough with mustard, leaving a 3cm border around edge.
- Arrange sliced tomatoes over mustard so they are overlapping, then top with cherry tomatoes. Pinch and fold over edge of tart, then scatter with thyme and oregano leaves.
- Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and crisp. Garnish with extra oregano and thyme sprigs.
- Serve cut into slices.
Notes: What is tomato in French? What does freeform tart mean?
