A Savory Tart to Celebrate Summer Tomatoes
Juicy roasted tomatoes, creamy vegan ricotta, and a flaky crust give birth to a perfect summer tart
I recently spotted the first tomato changing color in a patch of my urban garden space. I know from prior years that this is a sign of what’s about to explode: within a week or two, I’ll be inundated with an abundance of fresh garden tomatoes.
Of course, this also means I must start planning how to use them before they ripen too much (or before the crows start digging in).
I catch myself daydreaming about all of my favorite tomato dishes while casually sipping a morning cup of Sencha tea. My mind’s eye sees tomato-based salads of every kind. I hear the gentle plop plop of a Sicilian tomato sauce simmering away on the stove. I imagine the Mediterranean with lemons, olives, and tomato-eggplant everything. And then I begin planning a midsummer classic I make once - maybe twice - every year…a summer tomato tart.
In many ways, this tart is the perfect way to celebrate a bounty of summer tomatoes – especially with different varieties gently roasted with a hint of sugar and a splash of extra virgin olive oil – always a spicy Tuscan one. The juicy tomatoes sit on a layer of creamy vegan ricotta and roughly chopped garden herbs; it contrasts nicely with a hint of sharp Dijon mustard and a few dribbles of yacon syrup – or honey if you are so inclined. I make the pie round or rectangular – the shape ultimately doesn’t matter. But the crust must be flaky, thin, and strong enough to hold in my hand without the contents falling off and landing in my lap.
Inspired By One of the Best
A popular cooking course I offered during my 15 years of operating our business was Sweet and Savory Pies. This fun day-long course featured eight pies made from scratch on the day. The two most popular pies were two classic French tarts: quiche and tomato tart.
I was already pretty accomplished at making quiche, but I never made a tomato tart until we began preparing for this pie-making course. After researching French-style tomato tarts extensively, I ran across David Lebovitz’s recipe from his popular blog. This was the pie to make, but I needed to make a few changes to the recipe. A few attempts later, voila…a star was born!
I’ve since discovered that Lebovitz posted a second tomato tart recipe that’s somewhat similar to the creation I came up with after converting his original recipe. Of course, my version is vegan, and his is…well…not so much!
Vegan Ricotta and Quark
Vegan ricotta and quark are relatively simple to find in a well-equipped store catering to vegans and vegetarians. Make sure to read the labels and select ricotta and quark with the least amount of ingredients…and added fats. The ricotta I use (when I’m not making my own) is made from a culture and cashew nuts. Quark is similar to thick yogurt or a light vegan sour cream. My version is soy milk thickened with natural pectin, whereas yogurt is soy milk cultured with live ferments.