French Tomato Tart

by Julie Christensen

serves 6 to 8

Tart Filling:
2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon or whole-grain mustard
2 to 3 large, ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 generous tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as thyme, chives, chervil, or tarragon)
6 to 8 ounces fresh or slightly aged goat cheese, sliced into rounds

Tart Dough:
1½ cups flour
4½ ounces unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.

Beat the egg with 2 tablespoons of water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring until the dough holds together. If it’s not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water.

Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough* on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. Once the dough is large enough that it will cover the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan and go up the sides, roll the dough around the rolling pin then unroll it over the tart pan. “Dock” the bottom of the pastry firmly with your fingertips a few times, pressing in to make indentations.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Spread a thin, even layer of mustard over the bottom of the tart dough and let it sit a few minutes to dry out. Slice the tomatoes and arrange over the mustard. Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Sprinkle some chopped fresh herbs, then arrange the slices of goat cheese on top. Add some more fresh herbs.

Bake for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is cooked, the tomatoes are tender, and the cheese on top is nicely browned. Depending on the heat of your oven, if the cheese doesn't brown as much as you’d like, you might want to pass it under the broiler until it’s just right.

Check the tart midway through baking and turn it down a bit in case the top is getting too dark, before the crust and tomatoes appear to be cooked.

The layer of mustard between the dough and tomatoes creates a perfect barrier allowing the dough to cook properly despite the liquid in the tomatoes and goat cheese – an ingenious technique which won over even the most fervent disbelievers.

*If you find yourself without a rolling pin, as we did while testing this recipe at a vacation rental home, any empty and clean wine bottle (label removed) will do.