Description
Michael Symon’s Tomato Tart delivers Mediterranean sunshine on a buttery pastry canvas. Fresh heirloom tomatoes and creamy goat cheese create a simple yet elegant summer dish that celebrates seasonal produce with delightful Mediterranean flair.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2–3 large ripe tomatoes
- 8 ounces (250g) fresh or slightly aged goat cheese, sliced into rounds
- 1 unbaked tart dough
Tart Dough Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (210g) flour
- 4 ½ ounces (125g) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2–3 tablespoons cold water
Seasoning and Additional Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (thyme, chives, chervil, or tarragon)
- 1 ½ tablespoons flavorful honey (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a spacious mixing bowl, ensuring even distribution of the dry ingredients.
- Using either your fingertips or a pastry cutter, incorporate cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal with small, pea-sized crumbs.
- Whisk the egg with two tablespoons (30 milliliters) of ice-cold water in a separate small bowl until well blended.
- Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture and gently pour in the egg liquid, stirring carefully to form a cohesive dough.
- If the dough appears too dry, cautiously add an extra tablespoon (15 milliliters) of ice water to achieve the right consistency.
- Gently shape the dough into a compact ball, then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to create a thin, even crust.
- Carefully transfer the rolled dough to the baking surface, using your fingers to create small perforations across the bottom to prevent bubbling.
- Spread a delicate layer of Dijon mustard across the prepared dough, allowing it to dry for approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Artfully arrange thinly sliced tomatoes over the mustard base, ensuring even coverage.
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil across the tomato layer, allowing it to glisten.
- Distribute soft goat cheese slices strategically over the tomatoes, creating an appealing visual pattern.
- Generously sprinkle fresh herbs like thyme or basil across the surface for added aromatic complexity.
- For a subtle sweet contrast, lightly drizzle honey over the prepared tart.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C), ensuring the rack is positioned in the middle for even heat distribution.
- Bake the tart for approximately 25-35 minutes, monitoring until the crust turns golden brown, tomatoes soften, and cheese develops a beautiful caramelized surface.
- If additional browning is desired, activate the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Notes
- Cold ingredients ensure the perfect flaky texture, so keep butter and eggs chilled before starting.
- Minimal handling prevents tough pastry, so work quickly and gently when mixing dough components.
- Cutting butter into tiny cubes helps create those delicate, melt-in-your-mouth layers pastry lovers crave.
- Room temperature surfaces can make dough sticky, so dust your workspace with flour before rolling.
- Excess water breaks down gluten structure, so add liquid sparingly and stop when dough just comes together.
- Refrigerating dough for 30 minutes helps relax gluten and solidifies butter, resulting in ultra-tender crust.
- Uneven rolling can cause thickness inconsistencies, so use gentle, even pressure when stretching dough.
- Edges might crack during rolling, so patch small breaks with extra dough scraps before transferring to pan.
- Parchment paper works wonderfully as a non-stick surface for easier dough manipulation and transfer.
- Leftover dough scraps can be re-rolled once, but additional rolling will toughen the pastry texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg