Tomato Tart or How to Make Pretty with Fall Tomatoes

I made this several weeks ago when the days were longer and the nights were warmer. But, at least here in Western Oregon, a few tomatoes still survive on the vine—they aren’t quite as pretty as their August cousins but they still taste good and to beat the frost they need to be picked fast.

One of the many reasons I love savory tarts is that they are light and vibrant looking enough to serve al fresco on warm days but still substantial enough to satisfy when the air turns crisp. I adapted this recipe from one I found on Epicurious (originally from Gourmet, RIP) I made the crust with a bit of whole-wheat flour and cracked pepper to give it some heft and for the cheeses in the filling I used what ever was on hand. One of the comments suggested using a salad spinner to remove some of the juice and seeds from the tomatoes. GREAT idea. I took those tomatoes for a spin three times and was surprised by the amount of juice and seeds I extracted. Without that step the tart would have been soupy and/or soggy.

Here is a list of the ingredients I used to give you an idea how flexible this recipe is.

For the crust

½ cup WW flour

1 ½ cups unbleached AP flour

¾ cup unsalted butter

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

Several turns of fresh cracked black pepper

For the filling

1 Walla Walla onion

½ red onion

Tsp olive oil for sautéing

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

½ cup shredded Romano

½ cup shredded mozzarella

2 ½ cups assorted cherry tomatoes, sliced in half and given several spins in the salad spinner

Fresh chives, minced (for garnish)

Rhubarb Gastrique Galette w/ Goat Cheese OR Tarts Gone Wild

The word galette comes from the old French word ‘galet’, which means rounded pebble. Made with puff pastry or flaky pie or tart dough (let’s just say pate brisee from here on out, it sounds more authentic and is shorter to write) a galette is a tart gone wild, free form. Like a tart, a galette can be sweet or savory but since the crust is usually thinner a lighter application of fillings is advised.


Rhubarb Gastrique and Goat Cheese Galette

One batch sweet pate brisee dough
4 ounces goat cheese
Approximately ¾ cup Rhubarb Gastrique

When I made the dough for my asparagus buttermilk tart I whipped up a sweet dough as well, that way I only had to clean the food processor once. I used the same recipe and just added sugar.

While the oven preheated to 425, I rolled out the dough into a roughly round shape about a ¼ of an inch thick (I probably could have gone a little thinner but the dough was getting warm) and then transferred it to a Silpat baking mat (parchment paper also works but I don’t have any) to make getting the galette in and out of the oven easier. Then I slathered on some of the rhubarb gastrique, leaving about two inches of dough bare along the outside edges. On top of that I sprinkled four ounces of goat cheese and then folded the edges of the dough in, overlapping or folding as necessary, leaving the center exposed. I transferred the Silpat directly onto the pizza stone that’s always in the oven and baked on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes until the dough was golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature. Simple and delicious, thumbs up from all the neighbors I shared with.

Lazy Tuesday Post ie: LEFTOVERS

Leftover Pork, Gastrique, and Quinoa Salad W/ Goat Cheese



I layered the quinoa on the bottom, topped it with lettuce, drizzled that with oil and vinegar and then finished it off with the remaining pork chop from the other night, chopped and tossed with the rhubarb gastrique. Crutons for crunch. Goat cheese for creamy. Yum.

I struggled to take a pretty picture of this but rhubarb, I've discovered, photographs best before it's cooked. The goat cheese and the gastrique were fabulous together.Hmmmm?