Heirloom Tomato Tart

Tip from Cathy Barrow which has worked for me - put an upside down sheet pan in oven as you preheat and place tart pan on top to cook. Really helps eliminate that soggy bottom.

This was a really terrific dish! All the best flavors of pizza and quiche rolled into one. My whole family loved it, including my youngest, who is a very picky eater. I had to increase the cook time by about 5 minutes to get it to firm up because of the juices released by the tomatoes during baking. I also found that letting it rest for 20-30 minutes after it came out of the oven really helped it to firm up. Delicious!

Made it and it was terrific. BUT why not change the order of the instructions to read "First slice and drain tomatoes in colander for 20 minutes, etc. Prepare crust. While tomatoes are draining, bake the prepared crust as directed and proceed with the recipe. "

Earlier this summer, I switched from heavy cream to Carnation Evaporated Milk as an alternative in quiche-like custards. At the time, I was working on getting my triglycerides down, but this pantry product, which has a great shelf life and added Vitamin D, worked so well with the fresh herbs and tomatoes that I didn't notice a flavor difference (...and I'm pretty cranky about flavor). With 30 fewer calories per tbls, I likely won't go back to full cream after taste testing this healthier option.

Low moisture mozzarella is important given how much liquid the tomatoes release. Also, suggest salting the tomatoes while they drain and then gently applying pressure to release the maximum water. Definitely great flavors.

Cook’s has a recipe like this where they put a thin layer of grated Parmesan over the parbaked crust, which keeps the tomato juices/liquid ingredients from making the bottom soggy.

Skipped the dough and it was the best Sunday brunch omelette

Great recipe exactly as it is! I read some of the notes below and prepared the tomatoes with a few extra steps to avoid the liquid from tomatoes. Salted and drained in a colander for 30 mins, patted with paper towels until mostly dry, then I roasted them in the oven at 375* for 30 mins which extruded a lot more water. They were perfect in the tart and nothing was soggy! Super delicious.

Listening to the point about the wetness of the tomatoes, I put them on top of the custard, into which I had grated the cheese for a more solid initial consistency. They sank in nicely but the excess water evaporated and the custard shielded the bottom from getting soggy. The top ended up nicely textured as a result, also. Cooking time might have been extended but I have a crappy oven so I always need to fiddle (turn around part way through, etc), so I am not a good barometer.

So, when I am draining the tomatoes I drain them into a bowl and not the sink. I use the juices when I make veg stock which I do each week with left over vegetable pieces, corn cobs, onion skins, parsley stems, etc. I also save the halves of a squeezed lemon to throw in along with stems from greens, etc. The stock can be used right away or frozen for later.

Delicious. Easy. I made my own crust, using my trusty Martha Stewart recipe. When I make this again, which I will, I'd pre-bake the crust at 375 F instead of 350 F to make sure the bottom crust is fully set. To quote Mary Barry, nobody likes a soggy bottom. More pesto, less cheese.

Made this for dinner tonight with the first heirloom tomatoes to ripen in my garden - Cherokee Purple - and it was fantastic. Will be a regular summer dinner from now on. The recipe is delicious as is, and I’m already thinking of variations - sub gruyère for the mozzarella and add bacon; add spinach; try other types of pesto. This is a keeper!

I can’t say enough good things about this tomato tart. It is perfect every time and (shockingly) as photogenic as the NYT image!!! I use alternating red and green tomatoes, and added a tsp of Dijon mustard to the egg mixture. For my homemade pesto, which has a lot less oil than store bought versions, I press it down with my fingers to cover the bottom crust. Also, the better the cheese, the better the flavor. Gruyere, goats milk... And 45 min at 350 in a convention oven.

Made this for dinner tonight, along with a tossed salad - it tasted as wonderful as it looked! I took the advice of a commenter below and sliced the tomatoes, put them on a large rimmed pan and roasted them at 350 deg. to dry out some of their juice. Found 10 minutes wasn’t long enough, so roasted them for 18 minutes, perfect! Doubled the custard, pesto and mozzarella and will definitely make again, husband and son each gave it a 10!

This was great! Only changes I made: Used parchment paper instead of foil and (couldn't help myself) added a generous sprinkle of Parmesan on top. Changes I'll make next time: -Let tomatoes drain on toweling and pat dry-they were really wet. -Maybe add more mozzerella. -Thought the ratio of tomatoes vs. Custard was off-would have preferred more of the custard.