My friend Deb brought over some really nice plum tomatoes from our excellent (and huge!) market right here in Den Haag. They were so sweet, and I also had some cherry tomatoes from our vegetable subscription, so I had to make something that featured them. Salad? Too boring. I ended up making something just as easy: a tomato mozzarella tart that, besides the tomatoes, uses only three other ingredients that anyone might have on hand: fresh mozzarella, basil and frozen puff pastry. (I'm not counting olive oil or salt and pepper as ingredients though!)

One rule though: you gotta have good tomatoes, so none of those icky pink winter hothouse tomatoes here-- only the real deal will do.

Tomato mozzarella tart
adapted from Cooks Illustrated
makes one 9 x 13 tart

Ingredients
1 pound box of frozen puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator overnight
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes
a handful of basil leaves, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set parchment paper on a 13 x 9 baking sheet. Lay out the puff pastry, pressing down to seal the seams between the sheets. Cut 1-inch strips of pastry to make a frame around the tart, brushing with egg or water between the layers. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
2. Remove tart shell from oven and cool on a cooling rack. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
3. Slice the tomatoes into rounds and set in a single layer over paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
4. Press down on the tomatoes with more paper towel, absorbing some of the moisture (this will prevent the tart from becoming too soggy).
5. Place the cheese in a single layer on the pastry crust. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the whole thing.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Sprinkle the basil over the tart. Cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes, transfer to cutting board or serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature.

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty