Heirloom Tomato Tart From 'Veg Forward' by Susan Spungen

Despite its stunning good looks, this tart is surprisingly easy to put together. It’s much like a fresh fruit tart: just the crust is baked. A creamy ricotta–goat cheese filling is then spread over that, followed by the tomatoes, artfully arranged on top. The free-form crust, which is made a bit crumbly and tangy by some goat cheese standing in for some of the butter, stays crisp under the barrier of the creamy filling, preventing the tomato juices from invading. The tart can travel happily to a potluck or a picnic with little loss of quality. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for a day or two.

Taken from ‘Veg Forward: Super-Delicious Recipes that Put Produce at the Center of Your Plate’ by Susan Spungen.  Copyright © 2023 by Susan Spungen.  Used by permission of Harper Celebrate. 

HEIRLOOM TOMATO TART

Serves 4 as a main or 6 to 8 as part of a spread

For the dough

1 cup/128 g all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough

1 cup/120 g light rye flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

8 tablespoons/113 g (1 stick) cold un- salted butter

3 ounces soft goat cheese

1/4 cup/59 ml ice water, plus more if needed

For the filling

7 ounces soft goat cheese

1/3 cup ricotta, preferably fresh 2 to 4 tablespoons whole milk

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the tart

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (2 1/2 tablespoons)

3 to 4 assorted heirloom tomatoes

(about 2 pounds)

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling Fresh basil leaves, left whole if small, otherwise shredded

Instructions

To make the dough: Combine both flours, sugar, salt, pepper, and thyme in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and toss into the bowl, along with the goat cheese. Pulse until the butter is broken down into almond-to-pea-size pieces. Transfer to a wide bowl and continue to break down the butter by combing your hands through the flour mixture and flattening the butter chunks between your fingertips (but work quickly to keep the butter cold).

When there are no more large chunks of butter left, drizzle in the ice water while using a fork to toss and stir. If the dough is too dry and crumbly, dribble in a tiny bit more water. Knead once or twice, then form into a rough rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Press down and use a bench scraper or your hands to form it into an even better rectangle, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days or freeze for up to a month. When ready to use, soften the dough for about 30 minutes before attempting to roll it out.

Heat the oven to 400˚F, with a rack in the middle of the oven. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured 12-by-16-inch piece of parchment paper, taking care to retain the roughly rectangular shape. Roll from the center out, flouring as needed until you have an 111/2-by-15-inch rough rectangle. Pick up the parchment by opposite corners and transfer to a baking sheet. Pop it back into the refrigerator to chill while you make the cheese filling.

To make the filling: Combine the goat cheese, ricotta, 2 tablespoons of the milk, and the olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Add more milk by the tablespoonful if needed until it has the consistency of smooth, thick cake frosting.

To bake and assemble the tart: Prick the dough all over with a fork. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk and heavy cream, beating with a fork. Brush the entire surface of the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until deep golden brown all the way to the center. Cool completely on the baking sheet.

Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the cheese mixture all over the crust, leaving a narrow border. Slice the tomatoes and layer them randomly on top of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with basil. Serve at room temperature.