Sunday, August 15, 2010

The best of summer: tomatoes

Stockholm's SoFo area has an organic farmer's market every Saturday in the summer and it is my favorite place to be on Saturday mornings. The farmers carry a variety of vegetables - golden beets to nettles, breads, corn and handi-craft stands. The place gets ridiculously packed because well, who doesn't want freshly grown vegetables?
Tomatoes are especially special in summer because they are grown locally around Stockholm and taste nothing like the tomatoes at supermarkets. There were a lot of beautiful tomatoes, multi-colored heirlooms, and numerous varieties of tomatoes - we bought some yellow tomatoes, a 'pink panther' variety, a sort of Roma tomato and I've already forgotten the names of the other varieties.

And then one thinks, what to do with such lovely precious tomatoes? Our favorite fruit-and-vegetable? Bruschetta and panzanella, yes, but a tomato tart is divine for brunch. This has a bit of whole wheat flour in the crust, which makes it heartier, and what a tender crust! Roasting the tomatoes at a high temperature means almost jamming the tomatoes, intensifying their lovely flavors. The feta becomes chewy when roasted, which I especially love. This is basically a perfect tart, if I may say so myself, and I'm looking forward to sharing it at the next dinner party.


Summer Tomato Tart

2 - 3 organic tomatoes, preferably of different varieties
A pinch of herb de provence
A pinch of red chili flakes
salt and pepper
50 - 75g feta

Crust:
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 - 4 tbs butter, cold and cubed
2 - 3 tbs cold water

PREHEAT oven to 375F/190C.

1. In a bowl, add the flours and salt and rub in the butter with your fingers gingerly to create a mealy mixture. Add just enough cold water to bind into a dough - the dough should not be too soft, nor too dry. Refrigerate while making the filling.
2. Slice the tomatoes into 1/8 inch rounds.
3. Roll the tart on parchment paper into a circle with 1/8 inch thickness.
4. Arrange the tomatoes around the circle, leaving 2 inches of edge around the pie dough. Sprinkle with salt, herb de provence and chili flakes. Crumble the feta over the tomatoes. Fold the edges.
5. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden and bubbly. Allow to rest 10 minutes before cutting.

2 comments:

  1. I have made it every weekend since! I can't stop! I have the idea that I can freeze extra but there are never any leftovers!

    ReplyDelete

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