I have about one day every three weeks where I feel well enough to spend any time in the kitchen. Even then my energy levels are pretty low so I usually bake something quick and easy.
It seemed appropriate to bake something from Taste Magazine after being featured in the March issue. I chose Julie Buiso's Tomato Tart. I suspect Julie grows her own tomatoes because her tart is so much better than mine made with store bought tomatoes. My tomatoes, even they were the best vine ripened tomatoes from IE Produce , released so much juice they made the pastry soggy.
TOMATO TART
12 -16 medium sized plum tomatoes, or vine ripened tomatoes
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
small basil leaves
400 grams ready made puff pastry.
Halve tomatoes and place in a shallow 24cm flan or gratin dish. Put any that don't fit in a separate shallow ovenproof dish; you will need these to top up the tart as the tomatoes shrink a little as they cook.
Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with oil and top each tomato with a basil leaf.
Bake tomatoes for 30 Minutes in an oven preheated to200C fan bake.
Roll pastry thinly, to approx 33cm x 33cm, then cut out a 25cm round. Chill until tomatoes are ready.
Add extra tomatoes to the dish to fill any gaps. Lay pastry on top of tomatoes, pressing down gently.
Bake tart for 30 minutes at 200C fan bake, or until well risen and golden.
Loosen pastry from sides of the dish then invert onto a serving plate scraping in all the juices.
Cool tart for 10 minutes before serving.
Julies tomatoes are beautifully caramelised which makes me think my oven is not at the temperature it is showing on the dial.
I think next time I make this I'll semi dry the tomato halves first then add the pastry.
