My first job fresh out of college was at Showtime Cable TV. It was an exciting time–cable television was in its infancy and the staff at Showtime was young, hip, and having a great time figuring out how to be successful in this burgeoning new industry. Hands down, it was the best place I ever worked. And if you ask any of my former colleagues, they would say the same. The friends that I made there over 30 years ago have remained some of my closest friends today; I cherish them for who they are, but also for the wonderful memories we shared during those heady times. Karen is one of those very special friends, though I tend to think of her more as a sister. Unfortunately for me, life has moved her far away–down under, to be exact–and now I only get to see her about once a year when she visits with her adorable son. When they came to New York recently, I wanted to make something special in her honor. Many years ago at one of our frequent summer barbecues, I had cooked up this lovely savory tart with her in mind because she was a devout vegetarian at the time. She loved it–ate most of the tart herself–and still talks about it to this day. “Would love to see that tart recipe… why don’t you make that tomato tart for your blog?,” she would nudge me. Finally, it was the right time to dig out that old recipe, and believe me, it took a bit of digging. But for her–my Gabena sister–anything.
Heirloom Tomato Tart
I remembered that the tart had been featured on the cover of Gourmet magazine that summer. A little poking around on the internet, a recipe search on epicurious.com, and voila!, I had the Tomato and Onion Tart from almost twenty years ago. And what a stunner it is–a perfect way to make use of the fabulously ripe tomatoes that are beginning to fill market stands these days. Quite easy to put together, it’s comprised of a simple pastry dough (don’t be scared) topped with golden onions, shredded gruyere cheese, and succulent wedges of those colorful heirloom tomatoes, dotted with niçoise olives. A savory delight that is eye-poppingly beautiful on a party buffet, or magnificent as the main star of a meal.
Serves 12 to 16:
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
Heirloom Tomato Tart:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
kosher salt
1/2 pound gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds assorted tomatoes, preferably heirloom
1/2 cup niçoise olives, pitted
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- whet your whistle
- picnic in the park
So beautiful and mmmmm that cheese! I bet it gives it just the right creamy flavor. I’m dying for my tomatoes to ripen so I can try this! Buzzed ya!