Some may view September as the end of summer, welcoming in all things pumpkin spice and apple harvest. For me, it’s still very much summer — and quite possibly the best time of the season.
The bounty of late summer is as beautiful as it is delicious and the last of tomato season is the inspiration for this month’s Farm Stand to Plate recipe.
This stunning tomato tart celebrates what we love most about our local, North Fork tomatoes — complemented with buttery phyllo dough and whipped ricotta.
The days are getting shorter and the evenings a bit cooler, but the harvest still tastes like summer.
My love letter to September goes like this:
Thank you for gifting us these gorgeous tomatoes and for the final stretch of everything we love most about summer! ’Till next year!
The last of summer’s tomato tart
Ingredients
- 1 package Dufour Puff Pastry Dough (thawed)
- 1 doz assorted size/color heirloom tomatoes
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
- cracked pepper
- flaky sea salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Thinly slice the tomatoes crosswise and set aside. If you have cherry or grape tomatoes as well, keep them whole.
- On parchment paper, roll the dough out to a 9×11 rectangle and trim any uneven edges. Prick the dough with a fork every few inches, leaving at least a half-inch border all around. Place parchment paper with tart on top of a baking sheet.
- Whip the ricotta and one tablespoon of olive oil with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth and creamy — about two minutes.
- Spread a thin layer of the ricotta onto the phyllo dough leaving the half-inch border. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and sea salt. Place the extra ricotta in the fridge.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top of tart, overlapping slightly. Add the sliced shallots. Whisk the egg and brush the dough border with egg wash.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden.
- Remove from the oven. Dollop with the fresh ricotta, drizzle with pesto and garnish with basil leaves and flaky sea salt. Enjoy right out of the oven or at room temperature.
