Tarte fine aux tomates

This weekend we had some local friends over for dinner. A little intimidated, we kept the fare simple and discovered a wonderful recipe that would be a perfect match for a beautiful Australian summer day. The recipe is from an apt cook book by Alex MacKay (with Peter Knab) "Cooking in Provence" (see link on right).


A tomato tart, it was dead easy to make, if a little time consuming. It looked quite impressive and was well received, so we thought we would share. Unfortunately, no photo (seemed a little poncy to do so in front of our guests!!!). This picture looks nearly as good as the tart this recipe produced. Hope you can make use of it one day.

Tarte Fine Aux Tomates by Alex Mackay

350g (12oz) puff pastry
1.5kg (3lb 5oz) tomatoes, all about the same size
150g (51/2oz) mascarpone (We used 250grams)
50g (13/4oz) Parmesan, freshly grated
1 biggish bunch fresh basil, leaves picked from the stalks, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200c. Roll the puff pastry into a circle slightly larger than 30cm (12in) in diameter. (You can use a plate). Put the pastry circle on a tray and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes or so. Remove the cores from the tomatoes and slice them about 5mm thick. Keep the slices together and put the ends in a separate pile.

Mix the mascarpone with the Parmesan and basil and season well. Spread the mascarpone across the centre of the pastry circle, leaving about 10cm (4in) at the edges. Layer the sliced tomatoes around the outside of the cheese, making a full circle. Overlay them by about one third of each slice. Continue towards the centre in ever-decreasing circles, overlapping the earlier circle each time. Tuck the tomato ends under each layer to prevent them caving in, then continue toward the centre. Put the last slice right in the middle. (Your tart will get higher towards the centre, but this flattens during cooking).

Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 150c and bake for a further 45 minutes. When cooked there should be almost no liquid left in the tomatoes and the pastry base will be crisp. (The tomatoes we used were really juicy so we cooked it for an additional 15 minutes).

Voila et bon appetit !