Outstanding Fresh Tomato Tart with Dijon and Gouda

When Bev recently said she wanted to make tomato pie to use up some of our tomatoes, I searched my saved blog recipes and came across Lea Ann's recipe Fresh Tomato Tart with Dijon and Gruyere on her “Cooking On The Ranch” blog.  After looking at Lea Ann’s tart version, we decided to go back to Ina Garten’s original recipe and make it on a sheet pan – much like a pizza.  Then we decided to use Gouda cheese as we had it on hand and Bev is not a fan of Swiss cheeses.  Then Bev decided to go all out and make the dough as well.  And finally, rather than make one large one she split the dough and made two of them on different days.

Fresh Tomato Tart with Dijon and Gouda – Adapted from Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Kosher salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, 1/2-inch-diced

2 cold extra-large egg yolks

1/2 cup ice water

2 1/2 pounds dried beans, for baking the crust (optional)

For the filling:

2 1/2 pounds firm medium (2 1/2-inch) tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 cup whole fresh parsley leaves, lightly packed

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

3 large garlic cloves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup good olive oil

6 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3/4 pound grated Gouda cheese

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Place the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

2. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, until the butter is the size of peas.

3. Add the egg yolks and pulse a few times to combine.

4. With the motor running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse until the dough starts to come together.

5. Dump onto a floured board and roll it into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

7. Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a large bowl. on a sheet pan in a single layer.

8. Put the parsley, basil, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until finely minced. With the processor running, pour the olive oil down the feed tube and process until combined.

9. Pour the mixture over the tomatoes and toss gently. Brush the mixture on both side of the tomatoes and set aside. (Our tomatoes would not have survived mixing in a bowl).

10. On a well-floured board, roll the dough out to an 11 x 17-inch rectangle and transfer it to the prepared sheet pan. Don't worry if it doesn't fit exactly; you want it to cover most of the bottom of the pan but it can be a little rough on the sides. (Bev made two circles of dough)

11. Place a second sheet pan directly on the pastry and bake for 15 minutes. (You can also line the pastry with foil and fill it with dried beans.) Remove the top sheet pan (or the beans and foil).

12. Using a dinner fork, pierce the pastry in many places. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Check the pastry during baking; pierce any spots that bubble up. Allow the crust to cool for 15 minutes.

13.Lower the oven to 375 degrees.

Bev only used half of the following on each of hers.

14. Brush the mustard on the crust with a pastry brush.

15. Sprinkle a thick even layer of Gouda on the pastry, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, and sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of Parmesan.

16. Place overlapping tomatoes in rows on top. If there is a little garlic and herb mixture in the bowl, sprinkle it over the tomatoes, but if there is liquid in the bowl, strain it through a very-fine-mesh strainer, discard the liquid, and sprinkle the garlic and herb mixture on the tomatoes.

17. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of Gouda and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top.

18. Bake for 30 minutes.

19. Cool slightly, cut into squares, and serve warm or at room temperature.

The Verdict:

It was absolutely fantastic and I’m looking forward to the other one.  I thought the tomatoes might give up a lot of water as they cooked but , as you can see, they didn't.  Thanks Lea Ann for posting this and it will be made again.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

8/24/23 meal date