Tarte aux Tomates

A simple Provençal-style tomato tarte that works beautifully as a light lunch or summer dinner, served warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

For the tarte

• 1 pastry crust, store-bought or homemade (recipe below)
• 3–4 large tomatoes
• Dijon mustard
• Swiss, Emmental, or Gruyère cheese, grated or sliced
• Herbes de Provence
• Olive oil
• Kalamata olives or anchovies (optional)

For the homemade pastry crust

• 200 g flour
• 100 g butter, chilled and cut into pieces
  (For a lighter crust, use 70–80 g butter and add a little extra water.)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. If time allows, chill the pastry crust before baking. If making the homemade dough, refrigerate it while preparing the tomatoes.
2. Slice the tomatoes thickly and arrange them on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for several minutes to draw out excess moisture.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
4. Roll out the pastry and fit it into a pie plate or tarte pan. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the crust from the oven and spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard over the bottom of the crust (about 1 heaping teaspoon, or to taste).
6. Add a layer of grated or sliced Swiss, Emmental, or Gruyère cheese.
7. Pat the tomato slices dry with paper towels, then arrange them evenly over the cheese.
8. Sprinkle generously with Herbes de Provence and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Add Kalamata olives or anchovies if desired.
9. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the crust is golden and the tomatoes are slightly caramelized.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Homemade Pastry Crust

Combine the flour, butter, egg, water, and salt in a bowl. Mix and work the dough gently until it comes together into a smooth ball. If the dough is too dry or crumbly, add a little more water; if too sticky, add a small amount of flour.

Roll out the dough and fit it into a pie plate or tarte pan before proceeding with the recipe above.

Merci à Melissa Saura, de la Fédération des AF USA, d’avoir partagé cette recette de sa belle-mère, Simone.