This recipe from a 1980’s Cuisinart® magazine “The Pleasures of Cooking”, has been a family favorite for decades! It wouldn’t be a holiday in my, now adult, family without it. Most everyone I have served this to find themselves craving the flavors of this tart in any season, whether served hot, warm or cold. You don’t have to make the crust, you can buy one and adapt the recipe accordingly, but I must admit that it is easy & deliciously flaky!
Presented with minor adaptions by The Food Fairy®, of course 😉
The following ingredients make 1 tart. Tarts may be prepared up to 4 hours in advance and kept at room temperature. To reheat, put the pans into a cold oven, turn the oven to 350° and bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
18-by 12 inch partially baked Tart Shell (recipe following)
½ cup loosely packed parsley leaves
3 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup olive oil
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
16 small Italian plum tomatoes or 6 medium tomatoes (about 2 pounds), cored, ends cut flat
1 pound imported Emmenthal or Swiss cheese, at room temperature (Terri uses a bit more as the rind is heavy)
¼ cup Dijon mustard
Use the metal blade of a food processor to mince the parsley, processing for 10 seconds. With the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube and process until minced. Add the oil, basil, salt, oregano, thyme, sugar and pepper to taste and process for 3 seconds. Carefully remove the metal blade and insert the medium slicing disc. Place the tomatoes cut side down in the feed tube and process using light pressure. Transfer the tomatoes and marinade to a 1-gallon plastic bag and seal with a wire twist. Place in another plastic bag, seal with a wire twist and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, turning the bag once or twice.
Preheat the oven to 350°
Use the shredding disc to process the cheese, using light pressure. Spread the mustard evenly over the Tart Shell and distribute the cheese over the tart. Arrange the tomatoes down the length of the tart in overlapping rows.
Bake the tart in the center of the preheated oven for 25-20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let stand for at least 10 minutes; cut the tart into 2-inch squares.
Makes 1 tart; fifty-four 2-inch squares.
Tart Shell
2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter (6 oz), chilled and cut into 12 pieces
¾ tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
6 Tablespoons ice water
Use the metal blade of a food processor to process the flour, butter and salt for 20 seconds or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, pour the egg yolk and water through the feed tube and process just until the dough begins to come together. (If the dough does not come together, add water by teaspoons until it does.) Form the dough into a ball. Flatten it into a disc on plastic wrap, wrap lightly and refrigerate for a 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°.
On a lightly floured surface roll the chilled dough into a 20-by 14-inch rectangle. Transfer to an 18-by12-inch jelly roll pan, pressing the dough gently against the bottom and sides, taking care not to stretch the dough. Press the dough into a rim and remove the excess dough. Prick the bottom with a fork. (The tart shell may be frozen in the pan, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.) Line the shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights (Terri uses dried beans). Bake in the center (Terri says upper) of the preheated oven for 15 (Terri says 10) minutes. Remove the paper and weights/beans and return to the oven for 5-8 minutes (Terri says 2-3 ) minutes more or until the pastry is set but not browned. Remove the pan to a wire rack. Makes one 18-by 12-inch tart shell.