Heirloom Tomato & Goat's Cheese Tart

This heirloom tomato and goat's cheese tart is all about textures. The parmesan cheese pastry is super short-like a crisp cheese cracker while holding in the custardy goat's cheese layer and a topping of sliced heirloom tomatoes!

We've been eating so many tomatoes this past summer as I've been really enjoying the range of tomatoes on offer. There is so much variety and although they all differ somewhat they're all delicious. I bought three heirloom tomatoes for a photo shoot but once I got to the checkout they ended up being so expensive (over $10 for three tomatoes) that I realised that I needed to make something else with them because they were too expensive to only be a prop.

If you love short crusts and cheese biscuits then please try this recipe. The wholemeal flour gives it shortness as does the cornflour and the dough is ready to roll as soon as you make it. The filling is easy-just whizz it all together and cook it like a custard. We ate this both for lunch and dinner over a few days. Even Mr NQN who hates pastry and crust gobbled it all up with nary a crumb left.

A Dear Reader said that I should open a cafe. I thought that was a sweet idea but I'm not an early morning person (at all) so the idea of getting up early and being nice and cheery is anathema to me. She helpfully suggested weekday dinners from 6-10pm.

I thought about my peak hours aka when I'm at my best where I'm productive and I'm happy to see the world. My best hours are 12-7. (maybe 1-7pm). Anything outside those hours is a crapshoot. If you see my outside these times I may be a bit raggedy and cannot guarantee that I will be a) coherent b) put together. But I can promise that I will be good between noon and 7pm!

So tell me Dear Reader, what are your peak hours? Do you have a favourite variety of tomato? Do you think you could own a cafe or restaurant (or do you?)?

Heirloom Tomato & Goat's Cheese Tart

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 40 minutes plus 30 minutes freezing time

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Pastry

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup wholemeal flour
• 2 tablespoons cornflour/fine cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 100g/3.5ozs. parmesan cheese, grated
• 200g/7ozs. cold butter, cubed
• 1-2 tablespoons cold water

Filling

• 2/3 cup cream
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup green shallots
• 100g/3.5ozs goat's cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Olive oil
• Black pepper
• Basil leaves

Step 1 - Spray a 23cm/9inch tart tin with removable base liberally with oil spray. Place the two flours, cornflour, sugar, salt and parmesan in a large food processor and process until combined well. Add the butter and process until it becomes a cohesive mixture. Then place the mixture into a bowl and add water (start with 1 tablespoon and then add another if you need it) and knead. Shape into a ball and flatten.

Step 2 - Roll out the pastry between two sheets of parchment. Place in the prepared tart tin leaving some overhang of pastry and prick with a fork. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Step 3 - Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Spray a sheet of foil with oil and place oil face down and fill with pastry weights. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for 10 minutes or until the base is baked. Trim the overhung pastry from the edges with a small sharp knife.

Step 4 - While it is baking make the filling. Place the cream, eggs, shallots, goat's cheese, garlic and salt in a food processor and process briefly until smooth. Place in a saucepan and heat on low to medium heat and allow a custard to form stirring occasionally but do not overstir. Pour into the cooked tart tin and then place tomato slices on top. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 180C/350F for 15-20 minutes. Season with black pepper and decorate with basil leaves.