Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tomato-Mozarella Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust



OK let's all just stand back for a moment and take in the awesomeness that is this tart: first and foremost, the crust. Oh, the crust. Made with basil and garlic. buttery, herby, garlicky, YUM. homegrown tomatoes. fresh mozarella. more homegrown basil. all topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Can you think of much more better than that? Even Joey was basically in complete awe of this, and he didn't even mention the lack of meat. He said it tasted sort of like a pizza - only better. Another recipe to add to my favorites.

I served this with a spinach salad, but it would make a great side dish to grilled chicken or steak as well. It'd also be a great main dish for lunch or brunch.

This was my first foray into tart making. I love the moment when you pull off the shell to reveal the beautifully golden crust. I only wish my crust had been more uniform around the edges. It did shrink a little while cooking, so I'll have to keep that in mind when pressing in my dough next time.

Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, orginially from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook
  • 1 recipe Basil-Garlic Tart Dough (recipe follows)
  • 8 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella
  • 2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cut crosswise into thin slices
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh minced basil
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare the dough, and press it into a tart pan with removeable bottom.

Line the bottom of the tart pan with the sliced mozzarella. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese. Top with salt, pepper, and parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with basil.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until dough is golden brown and cheese is bubbly and browned in spots. Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. (The tart may be covered and kept at room temperature for up to 6 hours).

Basil-Garlic Crust
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 to 10 pieces
  • 4-5 tablespoons ice water

Place the basil and garlic in the work bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until finely chopped. Add flour and salt; pulse to combine.

Add butter. Pulse about 10 times, or until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs.

Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition. After 4 tablespoons water have been added, process the dough for several seconds to see if the mixture forms a ball. If not, add remaining water. Process until dough forms into a ball. Remove dough from processor.

Flatten the dough into a 5-inch disk. Wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (The dough can be placed in a zipper-lock plastic bag and refrigerated for several days or frozen for 1 month. If frozen, defrost the dough in the refrigerator.)

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle. Lay the dough over the tart pan, and press it into the pan. Trim the dough, and proceed with the recipe as directed.





13 comments:

Molly Jean said...

My mouth is watering just LOOKING at those photos. I bet it tastes just as incredible!

EJacks said...

This looks deliciousness - tomato, basil, mozzarella is my favorite flavor combination!

Janet said...

oh my goodness, this looks delicious!! I love that flavor combination.

Anna said...

Ooh, I saw this on Ezra Pound Cake too and have been meaning to make it - I just know my mum would adore it. Glad it's as good as I hoped!

Jenn said...

Wow this is beautiful!!

Carol said...

Oh my GOSH does this ever look GOOD! What a great way to use some basil and tomatoes from my garden. I can't wait to try this.

Tia said...

beautiful pix! i so need to try this recipe. thx

m said...

mmmmm...I have two big heirloom tomatoes on my plant that are *almost* ready, and I may have to make this!

Carrie said...

Wow, this looks amazing! That crust sounds crazy good.

Intelligence is Paramount said...

Thanks for posting the recipe and tantalizing pic. I made it for a brunch and my guests loved it. The crust was so rich it was heavenly, and there's nothing quite like melted fresh mozzarella--heavenly texture.

Karin said...

yum. I so need to try this. Hubby would love it!

Anne Marie said...

I made this for dinner tonight. I cannot express to you how much my husband and I loved it. My hubby thought I used a combination of cheeses. He was shocked that it was "just" mozzarella. The flavors were incredible! This will be a new staple for us, especially with the abundance of ripe tomatoes and fresh basil in my garden. Thanks!!

Debbie said...

Just finished making this for dinner. The flavors were delish! My boyfriend called it a "keeper". When I pulled it out after 35 minutes it was still doughy. I left it in for another 5-10 minutes but there were still parts of it that could have been cooked more. I think next time I will do a blind bake for a few minutes then fill it with the ingredients. Overall it was really, really good! Thanks for the recipe!

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