We just missed getting to meet Amy, who blogs over at The Roving Locavore, and her son, Jack, by a days since neither of us realized that we were here in Vermont at the very same time. To help soothe the disappointment, they offered to show you how to make the tart of the season, Vermont-style.
When it’s high tomato season, but you have an ominously chilly afternoon or morning, it’s time to make tomato tart. I love this recipe because it’s such a shape-shifter, with tomatoes always at the heart. It’s also a great meal to prepare with kids because it’s so hands-on.
Here’s a list of the basic ingredients, with substitutions:
For the Crust:
*1 c. white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, or semolina flour
*2 big pinches salt
*¼ c. iced water
*¼ c. olive oil
For the Filling:
*4-6 oz. Gruyere, ricotta, or fresh goat cheese
*1 tbs. Dijon mustard
*2 large, ripe tomatoes and an assortment of cherry or grape tomatoes; or 8 plum tomatoes
*herbs de provence or an assortment of fresh herbs in this family
(a handful of caramelized onions, if you’re in the mood—to spread on the bottom instead of Dijon)
Process (easily accommodates one pair of big and one to three pairs of little hands)
Mini-Chef: Mix with hands: flour, salt, water. Then add the olive oil and (with some Big Person help) blend thoroughly. Child, then parent, press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
If using Gruyere, use a child-friendly hand-grater to grate the cheese, helping to guide those little fingertips away from the sharp holes.
Big Person: slice tomatoes. Spread mustard around the base of the crust. Mince herbs, if using fresh.
Mini-Chef: sprinkle grated cheese or drop dollops of ricotta around the crust, sprinkle herbs, then arrange tomatoes.
Pop it in the oven for about a half hour, let cool to room temperature, and, Kids, it’s pie!
