My brother called me last week because I mentioned that I sent him a package. What I should actually have told him was that the package was for Geneviève, his wife, since he would find a woman’s jacket inside. He picked up the phone and said:
Benoit : Ah ben non, ca ne va pas. Elle est trop petite.
Moi : Quoi ?
B. : Tu t’es trompée. Ce n’est pas ma taille. Tu m’as dit que le paquet était pour moi.
Benoit: Well no, it does not fit. It is too small.
Me: What?
B.: You made a mistake. It is not my size. You told me the package was for me.
Of course, he is such a tease. But he continued on:
B. : Enfin, tu aurais quand même pu mettre un bout de ta tarte aux tomates avec, enfin quelque chose qui se mange !
B.: You could have added a slice of your tomato tart, or at least something that I can eat!
Despite the fact that my brother does not speak English — or just a tiny bit, the reminiscence of his only trip to England when he was fourteen — , what a joy to know that he still follows my cooking adventures. In fact, he does not lose the sense of the important things: his stomach.
I only wished I could have send him a slice of my tart. I am not sure how well it would have travelled across the Atlantic though. Eaten up by greedy mailmen sniffing the dangerous contents of the package. David, maybe this is why your packages never get to destination. But I know that he would have really enjoyed it, because we are a family that loves to eat tarts. You are aware of this already. Ce ne sont pas les tartes qui manquent chez La tartine gourmande ! (No shortage of tarts on La tartine gourmande!)
This summer, I have made many different kinds of tarts, with zucchinis, carrots, goat cheese et j’en passe. But this one! Can I tell you about this one? I decided to call it the jewel of summer. I had an idea that slow roasted cherry tomatoes, caramelized red onions and mozzarella would be a hit on puff pastry, especially if topped with fresh arugula and shaved parmesan. And it did!
I promised the recipe, so here it is. I simply hope you enjoy it as much as we did. The good news is that even if my brother begged for a slice of tart, his wife on the other hand was delighted with her new Oilily jacket. Women are so predictable. Give them a piece of fabric and they are well fed. I am not blaming her, I got the same jacket! The bonus is that I got the tart too!
You need:
- 11 oz puff pastry (for a rectangular tart measuring 10″ x 12″)
- 1 lb + 2 oz medium-sized cherry tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 2 oz Mozzarella
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- Olive oil
- Arugula
- Parmesan
- Salt and pepper
Steps:
- Roll the puff pastry thinly into a rectangular. Place it on a baking sheet (Silpat — silicone baking sheet — or parchment paper) and make tiny holes with a fork. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 mns, minimum.
The following two steps can be prepared ahead of time.
- To slow roast the tomatoes, wash them and cut them in 2 halves. Remove the seeds. Mix together 4 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes face down in an oven dish with the sauce, and mix carefully. Cook them for 1 hour in an oven preheated at 260 F.
- To make the onions, follow the steps here.
- Preheat the oven at 375 F.
- Grate the mozzarella.
- Take your pastry and top with the onions (0.5″ away from the edge).
- Continue with the mozzarella and then place the tomatoes on top, face up.
- Cook in the oven for 30 to 35 mns, or until the dough is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool down.
- When ready to serve, top it with fresh washed arugula, shaved parmesan, pine nuts, salt and pepper, and a dash of olive oil. This tart is excellent lukewarm.
Ingrédients :
- 300 g de pâte feuilletée (pour une tarte rectangulaire mesurant 25 cm sur 30 cm)
- 500 g mini-tomates Roma
- 2 gousses d’ail, écrasées
- 100 g de mozzarella
- Huile d’olive
- 1 càs de sucre brun
- 2 càs de pignons de pin
- Roquette
- Parmesan
- Sel et poivre
Étapes :
- Étalez votre pâte finement en forme de rectangle(mesurant 25 cm x 30 cm). Placez-la sur du papier sulfurisé ou une feuille en silicone placéee sur une plaque de cuisson, et piquez-la avec une fourchette. Placez-la au frigo pendant 30 mns, minimum.
Ces étapes peuvent être préparées à l’avance.
- Pour confire les tomates, lavez-les et coupez-les en deux. Épépinnez-les. Mélangez 4 càs d’huile d’olive, 1 càs de sucre, 2 gousses d’ail écrasées, du sel et du poivre. Placez les tomates dans un plat allant au four, partie bombée vers le haut avec cette sauce. Mélangez délicatement. Faites cuire pendant 1 heure dans un four préchauffé à 130 C.
- Pour faire les oignons, suivez les étapes ici.
- Préhauffez votre four à 190 C.
- Rapez la mozzarella.
- Sortez la pâte du frigo et répartissez les oignons dessus (gardez 1 cm de bordure).
- Continuez avec la mozzarella, et placez ensuite les tomates, partie bombée sur la pâte.
- Cuisez au four pendant 30 à 35 mns environ, jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit dorée. Retirez du four et laissez un peu refroidir.
- Au moment de servir, garnissez avec la roquette fraiche lavée et des copeaux de parmesan. Finissez par un filet d’huile d’olive, les pignons de pin et du sel et du poivre. Cette tarte est excellente tiède.