by Judy Kim
Heirloom Tomato Tart with Crispy Breadcrumbs
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
A great way to use bountiful Heirloom tomatoes at the height of Summer or to celebrate the end of tomato season. Either way, a nice light appetizer to be served with dry crisp champagne or served with a green garden salad for a light lunch.
INGREDIENTS
4 medium to large heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3/8-inch or 1 cm thick
Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen Salt
1/2 pound Old Amsterdam Gouda, grated
1/2 pound white cheddar, grated
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 single crust, rustic pie dough
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Optional: 1 egg
1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven 350° F. Fix oven rack in middle with a Baking Steel, or your favorite pizza stone. I love how the steel makes the pastry so crisp. Eliminates worrying about a soggy crust.
Prepare half sheet pan with parchment paper, I use pre-cut parchment paper when I have it available. Set aside.
Place sliced tomatoes on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt on both sides. Set aside, minimum of 5 minutes. Pat dry to remove moisture.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all grated cheese and reserve 1/2 cup.
In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup grated cheese, breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil; set aside.
Remove Rustic Pie Dough from refrigerator to rest until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour all over the counter and smooth over your rolling pin, I prefer a flat rolling pin compared to a rounded French style. Roll dough evenly into similar dimensions of the sheet pan, about ¼-inch thickness or a bit less. Move dough around as you roll and sprinkle flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Trim the dough to match the rectangular shape with an additional 1-inch border, for a finished look. Or skip the trimming step for a more rustic approach. To transfer, loosely roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll over the sheet pan.
Sprinkle remaining cheese all over pastry in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange tomatoes with minimal overlap all over cheese, also leaving a 1 inch border of pastry. Roll edges inward and crimp pastry edges.
Place tomato tart in fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.
Place mounds of breadcrumb mixture over the tomatoes, especially covering the crust. You can spread breadcrumb mixture all over, but I like to keep most of the tomatoes uncovered since they are so beautiful. Place sheet pan directly on Baking Steel and bake until pastry is golden brown, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
Optional: Make egg wash, egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Brush crust with egg wash just before baking.
Carefully transfer to a cooling rack.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil all over tart, sprinkle with basil and flaky sea salt. Serve at room temperature.