Tomato Tart

By á-830

Ingredients

• For crust:
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or other herbs, optional
• 1 cup old unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 About 1/2 cup ice water
• For tart:
• 1 garlic bulb
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• Flour, for dusting
• 5 ounces Italian fontina cheese, grated (about 1 cup), divided
• 3 pounds firm, ripe tomatoes (about 6 medium), sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

To prepare crust: Pulse flour, salt and thyme in a food processor until just combined. Add butter. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds.

Add 1/3 cup ice water; process just until dough comes together, no more than 30 seconds (dough should not be sticky). Squeeze a small amount between your fingers; if dough is crumbly, add remaining water, a little bit at a time.

Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; flatten into a disk. Wrap in the plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight, before using.

To prepare tart: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Fold foil over garlic to seal; transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until garlic is soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Squeeze cloves from skins into a small bowl; discard skins. Mash garlic with a fork; set aside.

Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out dough to a 16 inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush. Carefully roll dough around rolling pin; lift it over a 14 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Unroll dough over pan, pressing it into corners.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Using kitchen shears, trim edges of dough to 1 inch. Fold edge under, so it extends 1/2 inch beyond pan. Crimp edge using floured fingers. Chill 30 minutes.

Spread roasted garlic evenly over shilled crust, using a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Arrange tomatoes on top of cheese in a circular pattern, overlapping them slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining tbsp oil.

Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until crust turns golden and tomatoes soften, 20-30 minutes. Garnish with basil.