Tomato season is just about in full swing at our house.  The cherry tomatoes have been ripe for a while now but our Early Girl’s and Roma’s are just coming ripe.

I’ve got several tried and true favorite tomato recipes that you might want to check out.

Today’s recipe is a new one I tried several weeks ago.  We were headed to a picnic at Washington Park and I took it along.

The recipe for the French Tomato Tart came from one of my new favorite blogs, The Kitchn (no, I didn’t spell it wrong)

This tart is made in the “country-style”, a more rustic, free style.  I love making tarts this way.  Not only does it make me feel a little French but it’s easier too!  It can also be made in a fluted tart ring with a removable bottom but for our picnic in the park the rustic style was just perfect!

The dart dough comes together easily (no yeast required).  I rolled it out onto my silpat.

The dough is covered with a layer of dijon mustard, a layer of fresh, ripe tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper and some fresh herbs.   I used thyme, oregano and rosemary from my herb garden.  If you don’t have fresh herbs just use a dried Italian seasoning mix. Then the layer of cheese -the original recipe called for goat cheese but I prefer fresh mozzarella.

After everything is layered on top just fold the edges of the dough up.  Don’t worry about being neat and tidy – this is a rustic art, remember!?

The more rustic looking the better!

It bakes for about 30 minutes or until everything is nice and brown on top!

It put it onto a wooden cutting board, covered it with foil and put it into the picnic basket and took it to the park with us.

I felt so French, sitting in the park,listening to music, enjoying my rustic french tomato tart!

Combine it with a nice salad and you’ve got a great meal!

Rustic French Tomato Tart

Printable Recipe

Tart Filling

One unbaked tart dough (see recipe, below)

Dijon or whole-grain mustard

2-3 large ripe tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, chives, chervil, or tarragon or use 2 tsp of dried herbs

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

Tart Dough

1 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 ounces  butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands, or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.
Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring the mixture until the dough holds together. If it’s not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water.
Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Dough should be about 14 inches across. Transfer the dough to a prepared baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF
Spread an even layer of mustard over the bottom of the tart dough and let it sit a few minutes to dry out.
Slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the mustard in a single, even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
Sprinkle with some chopped fresh herbs, then arrange the slices of  cheese on top. Add some more fresh herbs.
Gather the edges when you’re done, to envelope the filling.
Bake the tart for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is cooked, the tomatoes are tender, and the cheese on top is nicely browned. Depending on the heat of your oven, if the cheese doesn’t brown as much as you’d like it, you might want to pass it under the broiler until it’s just right.

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