Summertime is such a wonderful time of year. Vegetables and fruits are in abundance and the carbon footprint is reduced – especially if you grow your own. In our garden we grow a lot of cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes and this year the gardening gods blessed us with a TON of beautiful tomatoes. So, naturally I’m on the hunt for new recipes where the tomato is the star. My girlfriend sent me this recipe that she found in the New York Times. It is a tomato and goat cheese tart and it is AMAZING! The crust is not a flakey pie crus, more like a bread or pizza crust. I made it the other night and it was a hit! I tried to stay as true to the recipe as possible but I did play with some of the ingredients, such as the selection of herbs that I used and the addition of a garlic spread. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Here is what you will need:

Crust

• 2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 large egg at room temperature, beaten
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 cup of all purpose flour (more as needed)
• 3/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 1 yeast olive oil pastry (1/2 recipe)
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp Garlic spread (optional)
• 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 to 2 tbsp of chopped fresh herbs ( I used basil, parsley and sage but you can use marjoram, thyme, rosemary- whichever combo works for you)
• 2 eggs
• 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
• 1 tbsp olive oil

To make the dough:

Dissolve the yeast in a 1/2 cup of lukewarm water, add the sugar and allow it to set until the mixture is creamy (about 5 minutes). Beat in the egg and olive oil. set aside.

Combine the flour and salt and stir into the yeast mixture. You can use a bowl and wooden spoon or an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Work the dough until it comes together and forms a ball – add flour as needed.

Turn out onto a lightly flour surface and knead gently for a few minutes, add flour as necessary, just until the dough is smooth. Do not over mix. Shape into a ball. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rise until double in size (approximately 1 hour).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently need the dough a few times and cut into two equal pieces. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Roll the dough out into a thin round and place into the prepared pan. If not using both rounds right away, you can freeze the second dough to stop it from rising (will keep in the freezer for up to one month).

To make the filling:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil a 10 inch tart pan and line it with the rolled out dough. Keep refrigerated while you make the filling.

Brush the mustered over the dough. Slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the mustard in a circle formation, overlapping them slightly. sprinkle with salt, pepper and your selection of herbs.

In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, garlic spread (if using) and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the tomatoes. Drizzle on the olive oil.

Place in the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the top is a golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 – 15 minutes before serving. You can serve this warm or at room temperature to accompany a salad.

Note: The original recipe states that you can roll out the second round and freeze it for up to one month. It can go from freezer to oven with no problem.

You can also use any combination of herbs that you like. I used basil, sage and parsley for my tart. I also used an herb goat cheese and garlic spread for added flavour. You can use a number of different ingredients, you could even drizzle a balsamic glaze overtop once cooled. Be creative!

The original recipe can be found at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12684-tomato-and-goat-cheese-tart

I hope this recipes inspires you to be creative in your kitchen- enjoy!