Heirloom Tomato and Asiago Tart
Dough:
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ pound (1 stick) butter
- 1 egg yolk
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup ice water, approximately ¾ to 1 cup dried beans, for baking weights
- 2 large tomatoes, preferably heirloom
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 4 garlic cloves, roasted and puréed
- 1½ cups (about 6 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
- 20 fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions:
This Heirloom Tomato and Asiago Tart recipe makes a delicious appetizer.
- For the dough, mix the flour, butter, egg yolk, and salt with a pastry blender until the mixture forms crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Incorporate quickly, just until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll the dough in a circle ⅛ inch thick. (If you are using a 9-inch prepared crust, you may have to roll it a bit thinner than packaged.) Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan, crimping the crust around the top. Place foil over the bottom crust. Spread the beans over the foil to prevent the dough from rising. (Or generously prick the crust, bottom and sides, with a fork.)
- Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the beans and the foil. Place the crust on a wire rack to cool.
- For the filling, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Peel and seed the tomatoes, and cut each vertically into eighths. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix together the cream, eggs, roasted garlic purée, and cheese. Pour the mixture into the baked pie crust. Top with tomato pieces. Bake 30 minutes, or until firm in the center and lightly colored. (Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, if necessary.) Remove from the oven and let the pie cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
- Garnish the tart with basil leaves and serve.