Holiday cheer is definitely in the air. Stores are stocked with seasonal decorations, colorful lights, and holiday spices. People are bundling up in thick winter coats, warm socks, and heavy-duty boots to counteract the cold weather. Sales and pre-sales are popping up everywhere. This can only mean we are heading towards the holiday stretch. November in particular is one of my favorite months for coming up with a game plan for the holidays. With the upcoming long weekend, I can spend some time planning out my Thanksgiving holiday schedule, Christmas celebrations, and holiday gift shopping plan. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been consumed by days packed with longer work days followed by baking classes shortly thereafter. Next week marks the midway point of my baking course. I’ve learned so much about the world of professional baking in just a few short weeks. In class, we call recipes formulas. Each and every ingredient is measured or weighed on a scale for accuracy. Formulas are important because they are designed for large scale production of goods. Most of all, I’ve been able to open up my taste buds to experience new flavor combinations and textures, while learning proper techniques for producing quality baked goods in a professional setting. In class, most of the baked goods we make are geared towards serving large crowds. At home, most of the baked goods I make are geared towards anywhere from two to eight people. Outside of class, I still do prefer to cook and bake on a much smaller scale. During especially cold days, I tend to opt for warming soups, hearty stews, and comforting casseroles. This week, however, I saw some Campari tomatoes on sale at the supermarket and decided to make a cheddar tomato tart instead. My cheddar tomato tart begins with a homemade pie crust dough. The dough is mixed, formed, and chilled in the fridge for an hour before I begin assembling the tart. After the dough is chilled, it is ready to be rolled out for my tomato tart. My cheddar tomato tart features a crispy homemade crust sprinkled with sharp cheddar cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, and thickly cut Campari tomatoes. The tomatoes are arranged artfully over the crust. The tart is gently transferred onto a parchment lined baking sheet and baked at 425°F for anywhere between 30 to 35 minutes. The final product is a flaky, savory, and crumbly cheddar tomato tart. Baking the tart at such a high temperature helps bring out the maximum sweetness of the tomatoes. To round out the rest of the meal, I added a warming bowl of soup to serve alongside the tomato tart. The only challenge is deciding which soup to serve. Kevin prefers a large bowl of wonton soup with his portion of the tart. I prefer a small bowl of creamy pumpkin soup with my portion of the tomato tart. This time, Kevin won, and I ended up making wonton soup. Cheddar tomato tart with a side of wonton soup made for the perfect portable treat to enjoy while holiday game planning.
For the cheddar tomato tart:
For the pie dough:
· 1½ cups all-purpose flour
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
· ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
· ¼ cup cold water
For the topping:
· 3-4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, diced
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 9-10 Campari tomatoes, thickly sliced
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt for sprinkling
For the egg wash:
· 1 large egg
· 1 tablespoon water
Directions:
1) To make the pie dough, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor. Pulse for 2 seconds. Add the unsalted butter. Pulse for 5 seconds. Add in the water. Pulse until the dough comes together, about 10-20 seconds. Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When you are ready to use the pie crust dough, remove the disc from the refrigerator and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before using.
2) To make the tart, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3) Roll out the pie dough onto a lightly floured surface. Trim off the edges to form a circle, if needed. Place the pie dough on the parchment lined baking sheet. Top with the diced cheddar cheese and freshly cracked black pepper. Arrange the tomato slices in a circle around the pie dough in one flat layer. Leave about a half inch width around the edge of the pie dough. Fold the edges of the pie dough towards the center around all sides.
4) To make the egg wash, whisk together the egg and water until combined.
5) Brush the egg wash around the edges of the tart. Sprinkle with the kosher salt.
6) Place the baking sheet with the cheddar tomato tart into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional salt prior to serving, if desired.
Takeaways: The cheddar tomato tart is very versatile. You can form it into an overlapping tomato galette or put a sweet spin to it by making a pear and apple galette or a lemon peach galette. The options are truly endless. For savory tarts, I’ve found success using root vegetables as toppings for the tart. Experiment away to your liking.