One of the few plants I put in my garden, but always make sure to have a handful of, are my tomatoes. There is nothing like a freshly ripened tomato picked from the vine. So when I discovered this recipe for a tomato tart, I was excited to give it a try, and I wasn’t disappointed. Serve during a lazy summer evening with a class of crisp white wine and feel as though you are eating in a gourmet recipe minus the exuberant prices.

Fontina Tomato Tart

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1/2 recipe tart dough (see recipe below)
• 2 ounces Italian fontina cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds firm but ripe tomatoes (4 medium), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Wrap to enclose garlic in foil, and place on a small baking sheet. Bake until soft and golden brown and the tip of a knife easily pierces the flesh, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. When garlic is cool enough to handle, using either your hands or the dull end of a large knife, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and into a small bowl; mash with a fork, and set aside. Discard the papery skins.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 12 inches in diameter. With a dry pastry brush, brush off the excess flour; roll the dough around the rolling pin, and lift it over a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners. Trim the dough so that it is flush with the edges; transfer to the refrigerator to chill, about 30 minutes.
3. Spread roasted garlic evenly on the chilled crust. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese, in an overlapping circular pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Transfer to oven. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees. and bake until crust is golden and tomatoes are soft but still retain their shape, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, and serve warm.

All Butter Tart Crust

adapted from Rural Eating blog

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (chilled)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbs cold water

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, sugar and salt and then cut in chilled butter with fingers or food processor until it resembles crumbs or cornmeal.

2. Add water and mix together until dough forms a ball.

3. Roll out dough into a 12 inch diameter circle. Place on a removable bottom tart pan. Place in the refrigerator to chill while the garlic is roasting.