Heirloom Tomato Tarts

Heirloom Tomato Tarts

How is it already September? These months seem to be flying by so fast! As Summer comes to an end, I always tend to ease into Fall with caution. Is it the fact that the weather doesn’t really get crispy here on the Gulf Coast until late October? Probably so! Transitioning into that pumpkin spice mindset is tricky for me when it comes to cooking or baking, it is just too darn hot! Today I am going to share with you an Heirloom Tomato Tart recipe. Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite tomatoes! There are so many different varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes and all so very beautiful to me. They give off that perfect late summer, early fall feel with their rustic aesthetic. They are sometimes considered “ugly” because of their unique markings and shapes, but I love them for their character.  I read somewhere that Heirloom Tomatoes go out of season in early September and that is when you can find them for a good price at your local farmers market or grocery store. I bought 3 pounds the other day just because I wanted one of each!

For the tart, I used 5 different varieties of Heirloom Tomatoes. Some are yellow, orange, striped, red, and even black! When all arranged on a tart, they are magnificent! I mixed ricotta and goat cheese and a hint of basil on top of a flaky filo crust for the base for this tart. The goat and ricotta cheese paired with the basil really complement the tomatoes. This recipe is an ode to the most wonderful goat cheese tart that I had at my wedding 7 years ago that I simply will never forget! Now let’s dive in and start making this rustic tart!

Ingredients:

-1 roll of filo dough (20 sheets,thawed)

-1/4 cup of olive oil

-1 cup of ricotta cheese

-1/4 cup of goat cheese

-1 tbsp of  fresh basil (chopped)

-1/2 tsp of lemon zest

-1/4 tsp of garlic powder

-salt and pepper to taste

-about 2lbs of heirloom tomatoes

Instructions:

Step 1:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Now you will want to wash your tomatoes and cut them into 1/4^th of an inch slices.

Step 2:

We are going to start by laying the filo sheets one at a time with a brush of olive oil in between each sheet onto the sheet pan lined with the parchment paper. Repeat until all layers are assembled. This may be the most tedious part of the recipe!

Step 3:

You now are going to mix the ricotta, goat cheese, lemon zest, basil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Mix until well combined. Then you will spread the cheese mixture in a nice even layer on top of the filo dough. Make sure you leave a bit of an edge for the crust.

Step 4:

We will now start assembling the sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese mixture. This is where you can get creative with the colors and the shapes of the Heirloom Tomatoes and make the tart as pretty or rustic as you want it! Sprinkle the top with a bit of salt and pepper and place it into your preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Step 5:

After your tart has cooled, garnish with fresh basil leaves. I cut mine into little hand-sized squares that could be perfect for an appetizer or a nice little snack! I hope you enjoy this little pre-fall treat!