Fresh Tomato and Basil Tart

This recipe is something I created after eating a fresh tomato tart at Sweet Basil Alabama in Florence, AL. It was so good that I wanted to make something similar. I had lots of fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden, so it was time to make a fresh tomato tart. Bruce said it was like a BLT pie, but with basil instead of lettuce.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Crust

Feel free to use your favorite savory tart crust.

• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour, plus flour for rolling out the crust
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 3/4 cups cold milk (more or less)

Fresh Tomato Filling

• 4 to 6 large fresh tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Six slices of thick-cut bacon, diced then cooked to the crispy stage
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or more to taste, rough chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup good-quality mayonnaise, like Duke’s
• 2 tablespoons of softened butter

Tools:

Tart pan, rolling pin, pastry cutter or fork, medium bowl, large bowl, strainer or colander, knife, cutting board, frying pan, offset spatula, blind baking marbles or rice or beans, parchment paper

Instructions

Crust

1. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add the cubed butter and cut into flour with a pastry cutter or fork until the butter is the size of peas.
3. Add the milk, a little at a time until a shaggy dough forms.
4. Flour your work surface. Dump the dough out onto the work surface and form a block of dough. Lightly sprinkle the dough the with flour and roll out into a rectangle of 16” x 8”.
5. Taking one end of the long end of the rectangle fold it towards the center, leaving 1/4 inch from the center. Fold the other end of the long side to the center, leaving a 1/4 inch from the center. You should have a 1/2 inch gap. Fold the first folded side over the second folded side to make a neat package.
6. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Divide the dough in half by cutting it with a bench scraper or knife halfway across the package so that each half has all the folded edges. You can wrap the other half of the dough in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 6 months for another use. The other half is used for the tart crust.
9. Roll out the dough for the tart and slip into the tart pan. Don’t press the dough in, pick up the edges and let the dough slip into the tart pan. Once the crust is in the pan, roll the rolling pin across the top to trim off the excess dough.
10. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork
11. Line the tart crust with parchment paper, add the blind baking marbles or whatever you use for blind baking.
12. Bake until the crust is golden brown
13. Let fully cool.

Fresh Tomato Filling

1. Cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices or thinner. Put the tomatoes in the strainer over a bowl. Lightly sprinkle the tomatoes with salt as you layer the slices into the strainer. Let drain for 30 minutes. Save the juice, it can be used for a cocktail.
2. While the tomato slices are draining, fry the diced bacon. Set aside 1 tablespoon as a garnish.
3. Rough chop the basil leaves. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil as a garnish.
4. Gently toss the tomato slices with the mayonnaise, bacon, and chopped basil until the mayonnaise coats the tomato slices

Assemble the Tart

1. Spread the softened butter over the cool tart crust bottom and sides. This will protect the crust from the wet filling.
2. Layer the tomato slices into the tart crust, including the basil, bacon, and mayonnaise in the layers. Cut the tomato slices to fill in any large gaps in the layering process. Layer the tomato slices until the crust is full
3. Sprinkle the top with the reserved tablespoon of the bacon and the tablespoon of basil for the garnish.
4. Cut into slices and serve.

Notes:

The tart crust can be made the night before and let cool overnight. This is what I did.

You can leave out the bacon for a vegetarian version.

You can use sliced cherry tomatoes for part of the filling.

The tomato juice makes a great Bloody Mary.