summer tomato tart + some exciting news!

This could turn out to be the most exciting summer of our lives. There have been so many changes around here that I don’t think our heads have stopped spinning. We have been through a whirlwind of travel and will continue to be dictated by the jet stream well into the beginning of fall. It has been such a glorious couple of months, most of which I hope to share with you sooner rather than later. For me, this time has been marked by a whole lot of soul searching and healthy doses of reality. I mentioned recently that I tend to jump right to the most extreme reaches of a situation and need to feel the pull of my tether (whom I warmly refer to as my husband). Thankfully, he keeps me grounded when the world is rushing around us.

There is actually one piece of news I would love to share with all of you, and since I tend to be a little impatient with all this good news rolling around in my head, at least this one can slip out, right? Well, come this September, I will be teaching cooking classes! This is something I am deeply looking forward to. They will be held in my home to begin with and will hopefully branch out to others homes, as well as new, inspiring venues. We will start by focusing on the basics of every day cooking and will eventually move on to more intensive subjects like tackling the always cumbersome Thanksgiving menu. My hope is that people who are not as confident as they would like to be in the kitchen will leave our home feeling well equipped in front of their own stove. Our first class will be Monday, September 10th at 6:30pm. We will be learning how to season food. Although that sounds simple, it is quite possibly your most powerful tool in the kitchen. I am always amazed by what a little salt can do.

If you are interested in taking a class, please contact me at odetogoodness@gmail.com and I will put you on the list to receive a calendar when one becomes available. Our first few classes will have limited space, so sign up soon if you’re interested. We are going to have a great time!

Now, on to this summer tomato tart. Normally, I try to avoid turning my oven on during the warm summer months. I do my best to plan meals around dishes that don’t need much cooking, or can be cooked outdoors on the grill. Our apartment has no air conditioning and it’s on the top floor. Just by putting two and two together you can imagine that equals a toasty home on really warm days. Adding the heat of a 400 degree oven usually doesn’t make it into that equation. However, I had some tart dough that was defrosted in the fridge that needed a filling, and well, there were these amazing little tomatoes at the market and raw tart dough is quite unpleasant to eat even with amazing tomatoes, so on went the oven…

This little tart comes together in no time flat as long as you have chilled tart dough ready to go. A purchased pie crust will work beautifully here as well if you don’t have any dough lingering in your fridge. If you plan ahead though, you might want to try making the crust at home. The recipe makes enough for two of these tarts, so freeze one and the next tomato tart you make will come together rather quickly.

summer tomato tart
makes one 9 inch tart, serves 8

Ingredients: 

• 1 whole wheat pie crust, divided in half (freeze the other half for another use)
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard (thanks to David Lebovitz for the tip on the mustard!)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 handful of italian parsley
• 6 green onion, sliced, white and pale green parts only
• olive oil
• salt + pepper
• 3 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

Preparation: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rimmed baking sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 9 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom, line the pan with the dough allowing about an inch of overhang around the edges. Fold the edge down, tucking it against the inner edge of the pan. Trim off any excess dough. Poke several holes in the bottom of the dough with a fork and place in the freezer until ready to use.
3. Remove the tart pan from the freezer and spread the bottom evenly with mustard. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, parsley, green onion, enough olive oil to coat and salt and pepper. Pour the tomato mixture into the middle of the chilled dough and spread out evenly. Top with goat cheese.
5. Bake on the rimmed baking sheet until the crust has browned and the tomatoes are beginning to soften, about 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. To easily remove the tart from the pan, invert a small flat bottomed bowl and place the tart pan on top. The outer ring will fall around the bowl and you’ll be left with your perfect tart perched on the flat metal bottom.
7. Slice and serve. Can be served warm, at room temperature or even cold.