A simple tart in which the flavor of the tomatoes really pop. The key is to have a buttery and very crisp crust, which contrasts with the soft texture and intensified flavor of the tomatoes. Rub the crust with a good mustard prior to baking, drizzle the croustade with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of thyme or oregano (I used zaatar, not the mix, the actual herb).
My mother used to bake this while we lived in France quite often; it is supposed to be an appetizer but we loved it so much we’d make a meal out of it. She would make a pâte brisée or use a store-bought puff pastry.
Highly recommended: Get a pure butter puff pastry.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pâte brisée or puff pastry (quantity for one pie)
- 3 or more tomatoes, ripe but firm
- 2 Tablespoons of good mustard
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of thyme or oregano
METHOD:
- Roll the dough out and make it a free-form tart on a piece of parchment paper or fit into a tart pan (in which case, grease and flour the pan); prick the dough all over with a fork. Slather mustard all over the pie; slice the tomatoes thinly and line them all around letting them overlap in a rosace shape. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle a bit of oregano or thyme or zaatar on the pie. Bake in a preheated 375F oven till the crust is golden brown and very crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pâte brisée: Click here for recipe and instructions.
30 Comments
Absolutely scrumptious! Refined in its apparent simplicity.
Cheers,
Rosa
This looks like an elegant and fabulous taste of summer.
Perfect for when lush sun ripened tomatoes are in season – this looks fabulous!
I make this on a pate brisee. Must try a puff pastry version.
Wow….Joumana…your posts are all so interesting….each time I come to your blog I learn about something new n’ you make it look so lovely….:)…really enjoyed this post too…:)
So simple but I bet this tastes wonderful. Diane
Looks so crisp and delicious! I love roasted tomatoes!
The burger looks beautiful and the potato salad is the perfect side, but the tomato tart has me drooling with some fresh from the garden tomatoes! Spot on!
Joumana, this is my kind of recipe. With a large planting of heirloom tomatoes promising some bounty sooner than later (I hope) this recipe will become a mainstay in my summer kitchen. Thank you! Tom
This is so lovely in its simplicity. I really enjoy this type of dish. It is hard to beat something made with so few ingredients, especially when it is cooked well by loving hands and knowledgeable hands. This sounds terrific. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
This sounds really good! I’d never thought to use mustard in a tomato tart! My vegetarian friends would love this, I think.
Looks delicious! I love tarts of all kinds and especially tomato ones.
This is a simple and lovely recipe… thanks….
I think this looks fabulous and I’m bookmarking it for as soon as the tomatoes from the garden are ripe. Thanks for sharing such a great idea.
What a fabulous, elegant dish.
Very appetizing!! I would love to taste your tomato croustade recipe. Thanks for sharing
Have a great week.
You are so right about the contrast of a buttery crust and tomatoey top. I am excited for summer and delicious tomatoes. I refuse to eat the non -seasonal store tomatoes and it’s finally turning into summer over here in Oregon.
Delicious and beautiful croustade,yumm!
I always like your pictures. They are making the food look so delicious. If it is not a secret, maybe you can share what kind of properties your pictures usually have (aperture, shutter speed, iso etc.) and what kind of camera you are using. Maybe some other extra tips to make food pictures look as beautiful as yours…
@ummomar: Actually I am still a novice in photography and it is a hit and miss with me. My only measure of whether my photo is acceptable or not is if it is accepted by Foodgawker!
My camera is a Canon Rebel XTI, which my son showed me how to use and I edit the pics either in IPhoto or in Lightroom, since Photoshop is too complicated for me still!
@saladinajar: Foodgawker anonymous, now that’s a hilarious concept! With a 12-step program?
Glad to have another recipe to use Zataar. This sounds easy enough for a weeknight supper. Perfect.
I couldn’t help but notice your statement about Foodgawker in the last comment. I find myself thinking the same thing about my own photos at times and let a rejection ruin my day. But I think it curtails my creativity if I think about it too much when taking pictures. Perhaps we should start a club called Foodgawker’s Anonymous for those of us addicted to their approval.:-)
Gorgeous! And I am just off to make a packet of puff pastry! Just the thing for a summer lunch! Your recipes always make me want to do the same!
This tart looks divine, it is exactly the kind of thing I love. I have seen many of these (beautiful by the way) and have never made one. Which is ridiculous, especially now that tomatoes are delicious.
Une croustillante entrée….
J’ai mangé une tarte fine aux tomates (faîte avec de la pâte feuilletée) ce midi, j’aime beaucoup ce plat simple et goûteux ! La tienne est très belle !
This looks wonderful – paper thin and full of intense tomato flavor – absolutely beautiful!
We’re still at least a month away from decent local tomatoes here, but when we get the, I’m making this beauty. Love the thin crust! – S
I’m looking forward to getting some propert tomatoes to try this one.
this is an easy and elegant way to showcase the deliciousness of fresh, ripe tomatoes. lovely!
I was hunting for recipes using filo on your blog and found this instead. I am going to make this next week and use wasabi mixed with crème fraiche instead of mustard.
Anyway I am going to keep browsing through your archives now to look for that filo recipe. The thing is – until recently it was very difficult to find filo around here and now it’s available and I am pretty excited to finally start baking with it!