a token of love

 

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.


 
Begin by making the Butter Pastry Dough. Your food processor is your friend in this process: pulse together the flour and salt until just combined. Add cubes of ice cold unsalted butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. 
 
 
Then slowly drizzle in the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until the dough just holds together when gently squeezed.
 
 
Dump the mixture onto a floured surface, scoop together and knead just a few times to spread the butter throughout. Form the dough into a ball, then flatten to a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to a week. It can also be made in advance and frozen–just thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
 
 
When ready to make tart, roll the dough out on a floured surface, turning 1/4 turn between each roll, until the dough is a 14 inch round. 
 
 
Roll the pastry around the pin to lift it and lay it into a 12 inch tart shell with a removable bottom.
 
 
Fold any dough overhang in to line the tart shell edges. Set aside until ready to use.
 
 
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to warm. Place sliced onions in the pan, season with kosher salt, and sauté. Stir often until onions are translucent and slightly golden. Remove from heat and let cool.
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread onions over bottom of tart shell.

 
Top with grated gruyere cheese, 
 
 
and then begin to decoratively layer the tomato wedges in concentric circles, beginning in the center of the tart and working outward. Top with pitted niçoise olives and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 
Place the tart shell on a baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices and put in the oven to bake for an hour, turning once midway.
 
 
Allow to cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature. Not only drop-dead gorgeous, this tart is juicy, sweet and delicious to eat–baked with lots and lots of love.
 
 
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 12 to 16:

Butter Pastry Dough:2 cups all purpose flour
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

 

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