With the abundance of tomatoes from the garden, I had been threatening to make this for weeks. It’s a great way to use up a bunch of the cherry or grape tomatoes in your garden, particulary because when it rains it pours with the little ones. I used smoked gouda because I really enjoy the smoky flavour and feel it pairs really well the tomatoes. It’s also a pretty fast weekday recipe and served with a salad makes a nice light lunch or dinner.
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients
1 tart shell recipe or 1 frozen pie shell
2 dozen heirloom cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs – chives, basil, thyme
pinch of salt
100 g smoked gouda, grated
Once you’ve cut the tomatoes in half, place them innards up on a cutting board and cover them with a paper towel or two to remove some of the liquid. Leave it for about 10 minutes or so, then simply discard the paper towels.
Preheat your oven to 325 F
I used the frozen pie shell because it makes this whole operation faster and with less cleanup. Plus I don’t enjoy fiddling with making crust. But if you choose to make crust, here is an easy recipe from BBC Good Food [http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2983/basic-shortcrust-pastry].
If using frozen, make sure to take it out at least a half an hour before you need to start using it. Follow the instructions for the pastry if you’re making it or remove the defrosted shell from the foil pan it’s in and place pastry in a tart pan (the one with the bottom that comes out). If you’re feeling adventurous, you can free form your pastry and make it look rustic.
Either way, once your pastry is ready, spread the dijon mustard all over it. It should be about the same thickness as you use on a sandwich so use a bit more or less than above if necessary. The lay the tomato halves on the pastry alternating them so some are skin up and some are insides up. Sprinkle the fresh herbs and a bit of salt on the tart and finish off with a layer of the grated cheese.
Place in the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the cheese and crust are browned and the tomatoes have given off most of their liquid. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes, then slice and serve!
