Bring summer home with a tomato tart

This was a surprise.

Most of the times, I know before starting what's going to be shared with you. The choice is already made, and the experience is very different. I'm thinking of you in the kitchen, and I am paying special attention to the preparation : I take detailed notes and pictures of the different steps, I measure everything, and I try not to be messy.

And believe me, clumsy as I am, this is the hardest part! When I bake, I usually end up with flour and eggs all over the place. Maybe it sounds more real, but it doesn't look good on the pictures! ;-)

After that comes the plating and the testing. This is when I might be torn :

See, sometimes it looks good.

The pictures are nice.

I'd really love to show you the result (especially if I took 25 pictures of it).

Like this one. Pretty thing, isn't it?

But!

The taste doesn't match with the work needed / the look achieved. And I won't tell you how to spend 3 hours in your kitchen for a bla result, won't I?
Yeah, I'm that nice!

Because I'm that nice, I'm also going to tell you about this savory tart I made the other day. It's very simple, and was made in a hurry, before leaving for a party. I was late, and it even finished cooking during the evening, in the turned off oven. I did not care, it was just a way to use my soon-to-be out-of-date mozzarella. But last night, I had a bite of it, and O.M.G.! No way I'm keeping that for myself! Even if I don't have any picture to go along with it...

PS : Next time, I'm going to tell you about what kept me busy since saturday. Non stop (in my head anyway). Let just say it involves some research. A little handycrafts. Lots of butter and sugar. And a super excited me!! I'm doing the last (and most difficult) steps tonight. We'll see if I'm still this happy tomorrow... But the best thing is all the nice bloggers who helped me with the little aléas in my way to buttercream heaven!

That's how far it gets with the pictures....

Zucchini, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Mozzarella Tart
Adapted from Bon Appetit

For the tomatoes (you can substitute them with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes)
6 small tomatoes or 4 large ones
5 Tbsp olive oil
1 rosemary branch (about 1 Tbsp dried one)
1 thyme branch (about 1-2 Tbsp dried one)
1/2 tsp salt

1 sheet puff pastry (made with butter, please!!)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
6 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 small zucchini, cut into thin rounds
2 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare the tomatoes :
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Quarter the tomatoes (or cut in 6 for the large ones). Remove the seeds, you just want to keep a tomato "petal". Put them all in the same way, skin side down, on your baking pan, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme and salt. You could also add a garlic clove.
Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, turning the tomatoes from one side to another every 15-20 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 400°F.
Transfer pastry to 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Fold in overhang to form double-thick sides. Pierce with fork, fill with beans or pie weights. Bake pastry until sides are set, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle mozzarella over bottom of crust. Top with tomatoes, zucchini rounds in concentric circles to cover top of tart. Whisk eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Pour mixture into tart. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake tart until custard is set and crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Quiche aux Tomates confites, Courgettes et Mozzarella
Adapté de Bon Appetit

Pour les tomates (si vous n'avez pas le temps, achetez des tomates confites à l'huile d'olive) :
6 petites tomates ou 4 grosses
5 bonnes cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive
1 branche de romarin (environ 1 cuillère de romarin séché)
1 branche de thym (1 à 2 cuillères de thym séché)
1/2 cuillère à café de sel

1 rouleau de pâte feuilletée pré-étalée pur beurre*
1 boule de mozzarella, coupée en petits morceaux
6 bonnes cuillères à soupe de parmesan râpé
1 cuillères à soupe d'origan
1 petite courgettes, coupée en fines rondelles
2 oeufs
12,5 cl de lait
12,5 cl de crème
Sel et poivre

* Après avoir essayé plusieurs marques, la pâte feuilletée de chez Picard arrive loin en tête devant les autres...

Préparez les tomates :
Préchauffez le four à 150°.
Coupez les tomates en 4 quartiers (ou en 6 pour les grosses). Enlevez les pépins et le centre, en ne gardant que la chair extérieure, pour former une sorte de "pétale". Placez les sur la plaque de cuisson, coté coupé vers le haut, et arrosez d'huile d'olive. Ajoutez le thym, le romarin et le sel. Vous pouvez également ajouter une gousse d'ail.
Faites confire les tomates 1h à 1h30, en retournant les pétales toutes les 15-20 minutes.

Augmentez la température du four à 200°.
Foncez le moule avec le disque de pâte feuilletée, piquez le fond avec une fourchette. Faites cuire 20 minutes.

Parsemez le fond de pâte avec la mozzarella, puis disposez les tomates confites et les disques de courgette de manière concentrique.
Mélangez les oeufs, le lait, la crème, l'origan, le sel et le poivre dans un petit bol. Versez cette préparation sur la quiche, et saupoudrez de Parmesan.

Faites cuire 40 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la tarte ait une jolie couleur dorée et soit légèrement gonflée. Servez chaud ou à température ambiante.