rustic tomato herb tart

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A trio of red, yellow and green tomatoes, the beautiful colours of summer wrapped up in an herby rustic crust.

This tomato tart is perfectly imperfect, making it an easy recipe for the average at home cook. These days, aren’t we all at home cooks? …

“A tomato may be a fruit, but it is a singular fruit. A savory fruit. A fruit that has ambitions far beyond the ambitions of other fruits.

— E. Lockhart”

Though I enjoy this during tart during the summer months, when tomatoes are at their peak, it can truly be enjoyed any time of year.

Pair it with a fresh salad or a hearty soup to make it more suitable for a winter feast. Alternatively, you could swap out the tomatoes for other seasonal ingredients. Don't know where to start? I’ll share some of my favourites with you.

FILLING OPTIONS | zucchini, mushrooms, butternut squash, pears

CHEESE | mascarpone, Ricotta, chèvre

FLOURS | for this recipe you MUST use a 1:1 flour equivalent. Unfortunately for this rustic tart, using a substitute such as almond, coconut, or oat flour, will NOT work and will result in the crust crumbling apart.

HERBS & SPICES | thyme, rosemary, dill, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, chili flakes, basil

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For the Crust 

• 150 g all purpose flour (I used Anitas Gluten Free blend)

• 1 tbsp natural raw cane sugar

• 100 g unsalted butter, very cold and cubed

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1-3 tablespoons of ice cold water (start off with 1 and add each additional tbsp as needed until you achieve a ball of dough)

• 2 tsp roughly chopped rosemary

• 2 tsp fresh oregano leaves

• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

For the filling 

• 3-4 medium tomatoes, sliced approx 1/4-inch thick

• 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

• 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves

• 3-4 fresh basil leaves, gently torn

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• salt and pepper, to taste

The steps

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F.

2. Slice the tomatoes and lightly season with salt. To prevent the dough from getting soggy, lay the sliced tomatoes out on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This will draw out excess moisture.

For the dough

1. In a food processor or medium mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch squares and add to the flour mixture. Pulse to incorporate or use your fingers to bring the dough together.

2. Staring with 1 tbsp, add in the ice cold water. Work the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for at least an hour.

3. Place the chilled dough directly on parchment paper. Roll the dough out using a rolling pin. This method will save you from having to carefully transfer the dough once it’s rolled out. Roll the dough out to a 12-inch round that's about 1/8-inch thick. Since this is a rustic tart, the dough doesn’t have to be perfectly round.

For the filling

1. Sprinkle the crumbled feta evenly over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Layer on the minced garlic, shallot, basil, oregano thyme. Season with salt, and pepper. Next, arrange the the tomatoes over the cheese and herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste.

2. Gently fold the edges of the dough over the tomatoes, pleating the dough every 2 inches, remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Option to add additional herbs on the crust.

3. Brush the crust with an additional olive oil, egg wash, milk, or a plant based alternative to get the golden brown colour.

4. Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the tomatoes are soft, about 40 to 45 minutes.

5. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy warm or at room temperature.