Colorful, refreshing, and so tasteful, this tomato tart feels like summer on your plate!
Italian summer means rows and rows of juicy, fresh tomatoes. This tomato season has been spectacular. Even if we had a bumpy start as the weather was unusually bad in April and May and we planted tomatoes late, they have been producing like crazy.
Our love for gardening goes way back when we lived in our first apartment. A huge terrace and long sunny days in Rome allow you to have a garden even on your balcony. And when I say garden I don’t mean some fresh herbs. 🙂 In the first year, we had eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, salad, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Whereas other plants might be harder to plant and maintain, tomatoes are really easy to grow, even on terrace.
Once you start gardening, it becomes your gateway where you relax both your mind and body. From planting and organizing to harvesting and enjoying your own produce - it’s something very relaxing and satisfying!
As we moved to the countryside and actually have a place for planting in the ground, instead of buying small plants we opted for organic seeds that we planted this winter. Even though spring was colder than usual and we transferred them pretty late, July brought us so many different varieties which are producing even now. If the weather continues with mild temperatures we will have them until the end of October! This year we have three red varieties - Canestrino di Lucca, Piennolo del Vesuvio, and Costoluto Genovese - all Italian varieties different in shape going from mild, sweet to tangy more sour taste. Two years ago we fell in love with Datterino Giallo, small yellow tomatoes so sweet in taste and excellent for homemade pasta sauce or for pizza. This year we planted similar variety - always bright yellow, with sweet taste called Yellow Pear. Totally new to us, this tomato has produced so much more than we expected! Finally, late August brought the best surprise of all - Indian moon - a big round orange tomato that tastes insanely good! Perfect for making a colorful fresh Caprese salad.
This tomato tart represents us and our countryside in every way - rustic base made with our olive oil, creamy cheese filling with freshly picked eggs, and an abundance of colorful tomatoes directly from our garden. From our farm to your kitchens.
The tart base was inspired by the recipe of Daniela, from Smile Beauty and More. Rustic base made with simple ingredients - spelt flour and olive oil - make this crust flaky and soft, easy to work with and so good in taste. Sesame seeds add that extra flavor and go perfectly with the cheese filling and the sweetness of tomatoes.
No need for adding eggs or butter - this tart base is light in texture and so tasteful. Perfect for vegan recipes and veggie tarts.
This recipe is vegetarian as the filling includes cheese and eggs, but you could also make a vegan tart just by filling your crust with lots of tomato layers. Garnish it with fresh basil leaves and salt flakes and you will have a perfect vegan tart. Colorful, refreshing and so tasteful, this tomato tart feels like summer on your plate!
Try it while tomatoes are still in season, mix and match different varieties and let me know how it went! Make sure to follow me on Instagram @thehungryapron and tag me so I can see your beautiful creations.
Simple tomato tart with fresh cheese
Marija Gvozdenovic
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8
Prep. time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes
For the crust
300g spelt flour
50ml olive oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
½ tsp salt
ice-cold water
FOR THE filling
180g soft cheese (I used stracchino, but ricotta is perfect too)
2 eggs
salt to taste
ground black pepper
fresh tomatoes
fresh basil for garnish
METHOD
In a large bowl mix together flour, sesame seeds, and salt. Add olive oil and start adding water, a spoon at the time. Knead the dough until elastic and smooth. Add more water if the dough feels dry or a bit more flour if it results too wet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes.
Preheat your oven at 180°C. Prepare a round baking dish Ø24cm and cover with a baking sheet.
Prepare your filling by beating 2 eggs and mixing them with soft cheese. Add salt and ground pepper for extra taste. Wash and slice your tomatoes - you can use any kind of tomatoes you have at home.
Roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface and transfer it to the baking pan. With a fork, make little holes, so your pastry doesn’t rise while baking. Cover with cheese filling and tomato slices. Don’t be afraid to add more tomatoes - the richer the taster! Sprinkle with some salt flakes and bake for 40-50 minutes until your pastry has a nice golden color and tomatoes are baked. In the last 5 minutes of baking add fresh basil leaves. Serve warm.