Simple Delicious French Tomato Tart Recipe: Provençal Flavors with Goat Cheese and Fresh Herbs

An easy Homemade Tart with Ripe Tomatoes, Dijon Mustard, and a Flaky Crust

French Tomato Tart

This French Tomato Tart is inspired by the southern regions of France, particularly Provence and Gascony. Fresh, seasonal produce and simple flavorful ingredients make this dish. The use of ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, and goat cheese on a crusty tart base is kind of Provençal-ish and some Dijon make this one pop a bit. A few simple things to make it taste more “French” than say an Italian tart might without the mustard.

Cheese and honey have become one of my favorite combinations here. drizzle something with some flavor, if you have it.

You can cheat and buy a pre-made crust – there are a lot of fine pre-made ones here, which makes this a very fast, but it’s summer and you just might have the time for it.

K

French Tomato Tart

Tips:

Work the dough cold or cool, if you can.

You might not own a pastry blender. I don’t. A big fork can be used to work butter into the flour until it looks crumbly and evenly mixed. You can just pulse with a blade in a food processer, which makes it fast.

Ingredients:

Tart Dough:

·      1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·      1/2 teaspoon salt

·      1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes

·      1 large egg

·      2-3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

·      2-3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced

·      2 tablespoons olive oil

·      Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·      2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as thyme, chives, or tarragon)

·      8 ounces goat cheese, sliced into rounds

·      2 tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard

·      1 1/2 tablespoons honey – one with some flavor, if you can.

 Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the flour and salt.

·      Add the butter and use a pastry blender to mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.

·      beat egg with 2 tablespoons of cold water.

·      Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture, mixing until the dough comes together. Go slow at first, floding flour into the wet ingredients. Add an additional tablespoon of water if needed. Do that until it is all just mixed together.

·      Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. This lets gluten strands develop and makes flakier crusts. It’s also easier to handle.

2. Roll Out the Dough:

·      Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C).

·      Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface – make a circle about 14” inches in diameter.

·      Transfer the dough to a 10-12 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for a free-form tart. I don’t own a tart pan either.

·      If using a tart pan, press the dough into the pan and trim the excess. If making a free-form tart, leave a 2-inch border around the edges.

3. Assemble the Tart:

·      Spread an even layer of mustard over the bottom of the dough.

·      Arrange tomato slices in a single layer over the mustard.

·      Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

·      Sprinkle half of the chopped herbs over the tomatoes.

·      Arrange the goat cheese rounds on top of the tomatoes.

·      Sprinkle the remaining herbs over the goat cheese and drizzle with honey if using.\

For a free-form tart, fold the edges of the dough up around the filling.

4.    - Bake about 30 minutes or until crust is golden, tomatoes are tender, and cheese is browned. If the cheese doesn’t brown, put the tart under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

   - Check the tart halfway through and reduce oven temperature if the top is browning too quickly.

Cool before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.