A Rustic Tomato Tart made in my Provence Kitchen
tarte à la tomate, rustic tomato tart in provence
A Rustic Tomato Tart made in my Provence Kitchen
Sitting in an herb garden in Provence while eating a savory tomato tart is magical!
In the south of France, tarts are a staple, either savory or sweet. For my guests, I serve a tomato tart with an aperitif in the garden or salon before dinner. They are also great with a salad for lunch. And, because they are served at room temperature, they make a perfect dish for outdoor gatherings. They always look impressive, and are very Provençal!
heirloom tomato tart in my provence kitchen
Somewhere along the line, I decided I wanted to master making my own tomato tart. And I wanted to figure out one without cheese since we usually have cheese after the meal. With the fantastic tomatoes we have here, at first it seemed ridiculous to cook the tomatoes since they are so good with just some olive oil and salt. I’ve tried many tomato tarts including not cooking them first to see if I could keep the freshness. But if you want to make sure to have a crispy crust, it’s important to take a lot of the moisture out of the tomatoes first. On a positive note, this makes the tomatoes sweeter.
The Tomatoes
heirloom tomatoes from the market
So, the tomatoes can be anything you want. But depending on what you choose, would depend on how long you cook them and how sweet they will be. Cherry tomatoes are fantastic and turn very sweet. In this tart I used a mixture of heirloom tomatoes that I got at the farmers market in Laragne. Because they were so moist, I cooked them for about an hour. The flavor was fantastic!
heirloom tomatoes and shallots from the local Laragne market
It’s important to get the slices the same height. I cut mine about 1/2” thick. In a small bowl I mixed olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and herbs. Of course herbs de Provence would be lovely. In this tart I chose tarragon, thyme, and crushed bay leaves. (I buy crushed bay leaves here in France.) I’ve also used a mixture of chervil, dill and tarragon. There is a sweetness to that mixture that I like which is good with cherry tomatoes on crostini and mascarpone (or in the states fromage blanc, which is a totally different cheese here in France). These crostinis are a staple of mine in Portland for an amuse-bouche.
heriloom tomatoes on baking sheet with herbed olive oil
Place the sliced tomatoes on an oiled baking sheet, and spread the herbed oil mixture on top of the tomatoes. Depending on how much moisture is in the tomatoes would depend on how long you cook them. Could be an hour.
Pie crust
pâte brissée in tart pan
Here in France, there is no need to make your own pie crust. You can find rolled dough on parchment paper sold in the cold section of the grocery store. Also frozen ones at Picard, a well known franchise that only sells frozen foods. For this tart, I used pâte brisée, which is a basic butter pie crust. Pâte feuilletée is more like a puff pastry that is not sweet, and pâte sablée is sweet. Of course, You can use your favorite pie crust recipe. If so, be sure to butter the tart pan or use parchment paper. I use the parchment paper that comes with the pâte. Be sure to poke some holes with a fork, and put weights on top. I’m still building my perfect kitchen here, so without pie weights, I use dining knives, which surprisingly work just fine.
pâte brisée and crème fraîche in provence
I cook the tomatoes and pie crust together in an 190ºC (375ºF) convection oven. Take the pie crust out once it starts to get a little bit of color, and leave the tomatoes in (turn up to 400ºF) until you see a little caramelizing around the edges and a lot of the moisture has evaporated, anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour.
Shallots with crème fraîche
shallots and herbs for the tomato tart
Meanwhile, carmalize 8 or so sliced shallots in butter and wine. Start by sautéing in butter, then once they start browning, add some sweet wine. You may have to do this twice during the caramelization process. I use Muscat de Rivesaltes here in Provence since it is local. It's from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, right next door to Provence Alps Côte d’Azure, where I live. It’s naturally sweet with aromas of stone fruit and white flowers made from the traditional Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat of Alexandria.
Muscat de Rivesaltes, L'or du Roussillon
After the shallots are nicely caramelized, add about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, some thyme and black pepper. Cook for another minute or so until the vinegar is incorporated and evaporated, then let cool.
crème fraîche and dijon mustard
Combine about 2/3's cup of crème fraîche, about a tablespoon of dijon mustard and the cooled shallot mixture. Season.
crème fraîche shallot mixture
Assemble the tomato tart
shallot mixture on pâte brisée
The crême fraîche mixture goes on top of the cooled pie crust, then the herbed tomatoes on top. Bake in a 400º oven for about 30 minutes until warm and crispy.
