Yesterday we made the tomato tart that I posted about last Friday, showing pictures that I took 15 years ago. As you can see, those tomatoes that appeared to have "green-back" ended up ripening pretty fast out on the front terrace. The slideshow below consists of 10 photos in chronological order and lasts just one minute.
Instead of Dijon mustard, we decided to make the tart with pesto, since we have such a good crop of fresh basil this year. We made pesto with basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, powdered hazelnuts (poudre de noisettes), and salt and pepper, using a stick blender.
A thin layer of the pesto was spread over the bottom of a blind-baked pie crust (pâté brisée). On top of the pesto we sprinkled some panko bread crumbs (chapelure japonaise) and some grated ewe's-milk cheese (tomme de brebis), and then laid on a layer of overlapping tomato slices (quatre belles tomates). On top we sprinkled on a little more panko and some more grated brebis cheese.
The tart baked in the oven at 180ºC (350ºF) for about 30 minutes. I was afraid the tomatoes might be too watery, but they weren't. The breadcrumbs probably absorbed a lot of the tomato juice. We ate the tart (or most of it...) hot, right out of the oven.
This looks inspired. I will have to try to grow tomatoes on the deck again next year, though I've not been successful with it. It is quite difficult to find good ones around here. You do a wonderful job of finding ways to use the things from your garden.
ReplyDeleteHope you can grow some tomatoes next year. Aren't there any produce stands along the roads of Ohio where gardeners or farmer sell the tomatoes they grow?
DeleteThere are some. I really need to go to them.
DeleteI’ll sound like a broken record, but this tomato tart looks so appetizing. I love pistou, the French version of pesto, and it goes so well with tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteEarler this morning, I was reading your comments on yesterday’s post almost as you were writing them! It felt like a tête à tête.
I thought so too, about the real-time conversation we were having in comments.
DeleteIsn’t that gorgeous! Oh, I can just taste it. Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteIt was really good. Today we had BLTs for lunch. Good too.
DeleteI always enjoy reading the back-and-forth between you two, especially when things get a little heated.
ReplyDeleteCHM and I have been friends since 1983. Ça fait un bail, dit-on en français. He and I don't always see eye to eye, but our friendship endures.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that!
DeleteI like the slide show and the tart looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteThe slide shows are a good way, I think, to display a series of images. The tart was really good — a nice way to enjoy the home-grown tomatoes.
DeleteThat tart looks amazing. Pesto is great on anything. Are hazelnuts a standard ingredient? Maybe you addressed this before, but the color of the basil leaves doesn't create different flavors, right?
ReplyDeleteUsually pine nuts — pignons de pin — go into pesto. They are prohibitively expensive. We've found powdered hazelnuts or powdered almonds to be good in pesto and more reasonably priced.
DeleteWe haven't noticed much or any difference in taste between the green and the purple basil.
Thanks for that Ken! Didn't know that about pine nuts.
DeleteI never thought of using almond flour in pesto. I think using panko to absorb the tomato juices is inspired.
DeleteWe used to put pine nuts in with the basil and olive oil and then grind it all up together in the blender or food processor. But pine nuts kept getting more and more expensive. I just checked SuperU's prices on line and I see that pine nuts are selling for between 40 and 70 euros per kilo. Walt came up with the idea of putting some powdered hazelnuts in instead of pine nuts and the flavor is good. Then he tried powdered almonds and that's good too.
DeleteI love the idea of blind-baking the crusts. I wonder, though, doesn't ir burn easily afterwards when you've added the filling? We usualy don't blind-bake and our crusts are often soggy. :(
ReplyDeleteBlind-baking the crust does keep the bottom from getting soggy. And the crust doesn't burn when it cooks with the filling in it. But Walt is the expert on making and baking crusts.
DeleteThat tart looks so delicious. I am envious of your tomato crop. The few I planted this year weren't worth the effort. I'm blaming it on the weather not the gardener! :)
ReplyDeleteDid deer eat your tomatoes this year? The other day I wrote a comment about an uncle of mine who lived in Morehead but also had a fishing camp on Bear Creek. I went there with him a few times. Anyway, good to read you.
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