Last summer, Ralph and I returned home from our holiday in Greece to rotten tomatoes.
It never occurred to us, when we were booking our trip, that we’d be missing the harvest of our favorite vegetable. Tomatoes are actually a fruit but I think of them as a vegetable – it’s my bubble! When we got back to the farm, we found pounds and pounds of over ripe tomatoes rotting on the ground. Mom picked all she wanted, gave lots away and still we had a truck load of waste.
To begin with, I had too many plants. Twelve cherry tomato, six plum tomato, six heirloom and twelve beefsteak. To those of you with more gardening experience, I can hear you chuckling. Had I been home, I would’ve had to open a ‘u-pick’! This year I limited myself to six yellow grape tomato, four beefsteak and four heirloom and no holidays during the harvest season.
Yesterday, we hosted friends that we lovingly refer to as our ‘city friends’. Not all of our friends get our passion for the farm. This group of friends are our neighbours in the city. We live two minutes from one another. We do city things together – urban stuff. Nothing involving mosquitoes, tractors, manure or having dirt under your finger nails. So, during the summer, we rarely see each other.
I love feeding these folks. They’re always up to try anything which gives me the freedom to experiment without worrying about disappointing. If they don’t like something, they still enjoy having tried something new.
About thirty years ago, I ate an open faced tomato tart. I never forgot the burst of summer I tasted with my first bite. My yellow grape tomatoes are starting to ripen so I decided to create my own tart.
As long as you use a commercial puff pastry, nothing could be easier. Attempting homemade puff pasty would be a game changer. I’m also convinced that any combination of tomato, cheese and fresh herbs would work. I used chevre and french thyme on one, boconccini and lavender on the other with tomatoes on both.
It was a wonderful afternoon of friendship, food and relaxation at the farm. We might convert them yet…
Summer Tomato Tart
Preheat oven 400*F
1 sheet of puff pastry, follow manufacturer’s defrosting instructions
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in 4
Cheese of your choice
¼ cup grated parmesan
Handful of fresh herbs
Line baking sheet with parchment paper
Place puff pastry on lined sheet
Using a fork, prick entire pastry surface leaving a ¼ inch border/frame on all sides
Sprinkle pastry with grated parmesan
Arrange tomato slices or wedges on top of parmesan
Sprinkle with cheese and herbs
Bake until crust is crispy – 15 – 20 minutes
THE LOVE: Don’t feel the need to completely cover the pastry with cheese. Too much could result in a soggy crust.
one year ago: lavender shortbread
two years ago: blackberry and lemon zest muffins
Thanks for reading.
