Heirloom Tomato Tart with Pie Crust Leaves!

Here’s a last hurrah for those summer heirloom tomatoes with a nod to fall~

 Heirloom Tomato Tart with Pie Crust Leaves!

I prefer a tomato tart over a tomato pie since it cooks in half the time, and is easier to cut and serve with the removable outer ring of the tart pan.

I took a short cut and started with store-bought refrigerated pie crust, but you can use your favorite pastry/pie dough recipe for this tart. My tart pan is 8 x 12 so I spliced two pie crusts together to fill the tart pan.

Here’s a tip to prevent a soggy pie crust:

Brush the inside of the crust with beaten egg white before adding your filling. The proteins in the egg will form a moisture barrier over the crust and help prevent the unbaked pie crust from becoming soggy.

The filling has a mixture of caramelized onion, shredded mozzarella and manchego cheeses, bread crumbs, fresh herbs and just enough mayonnaise to bind it all together. You can caramelize your onion and mix your filling a couple of days in advance so it’s ready to go for quicker assembly. Add your filling to your egg-washed pie crust shell and top with your tomatoes.

Slice your tomatoes and place them on several layers of paper towels to drain, 30 – 45 minutes. Give them a sprinkling of salt to draw out the excess moisture. You’ll need enough tomato for one layer in your tart pan and to cover the surface of the onion and cheese layer.

The pie crust leaves are decorative and totally optional. They’re a little nod to Autumn since I’m ready for leaves and all things fall! I bought my spring-loaded leaf pie crust cutters at Williams-Sonoma several years ago. They have a new version available this year and I’ve seen some recently at Sur la table and at Michaels with the fall baking season around the corner.

Cut your leaves from your pie crust scraps and return them to the refrigerator on a piece of parchment paper to chill while you’re assembling your tart. You want your pie dough cold when it hits the hot oven.

Add your drained tomatoes in a single layer, covering the filling mixture. Drizzle with a tablespoon olive oil, season with pepper and some chopped fresh herbs.

Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees until crust starts to brown and is pulling away from pan, about 25 – 30 minutes. Allow tart to cool in pan on wire rack. Cool completely before removing outer ring and cutting.

This tomato tart can be enjoyed at room temperature or reheated and served warm. Garnish with basil leaves and additional thyme leaves if desired.

You can find a printable recipe, here.

Are you savoring the last days of summer or anxiously waiting for fall?

Thank you for your visit!

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