Simple Summer Tomato Tart (made with what’s on hand)

Ingredients

• Ingredients for a pastry dough of about 6 people:
• 1 ½ cup (210 g) flour
• 4 ½ ounces (125 g) cold european style butter, cold and grated, or cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water
• Ingredients for the filling:.
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes or a couple of regular tomates
• Sea salt
• 2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup/60 g cream
• 8 ounces/226 g soft chevre (boursin or ricotta)
• ¼ cup/25g parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil or thyme or whatever you might have on hand
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. To make the pastry:
2. Put the salt and flour in a large bowl and mix. Add the butter and using your finger tips, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.
3. Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, again using your fingertips, work the flour into the wet ingredients. Stop when it comes together. It might look a little raggedy but thats okay, it will smooth out when you roll it. However, if the dough seems a little dry, with a lot of flour in the bottom of the bowl, add the additional tablespoon of cold water.
4. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it out and shape it into a circle with your hands. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface, trying to keep the circle shap and adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
5. Once the dough is large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan, roll the dough around the rolling pin the unroll it over the tart pan. Press the dough into the sides and bottom with your fingerstips and remove any excess dough.
6. Place the lined tart pan in the fridge or freezer while you make the filling.
7. To make the filling and finish:
8. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the rack on the bottom shelf of the oven. Cut cherry tomatoes in half or large tomatoes in thin slices. Spread cherry tomatoes( cut side down) or tomato slices on paper towel to drain while preparing other ingredients.
9. Place eggs, cream, chevre, parmesan, herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
10. Remove tart shell from the fridge. Spread an even layer of the mustard over the bottom of the tart shell then spoon the chevre mixture on top. Arrange the tomatoes over the filling.
11. Place the tart in the oven and bake 35 - 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling has set.
12. Let the tart rest 5 minutes or so before slicing.