Heirloom Tomato and Cheddar Tart - Recipe by Martin Benn

Ingredients

1 sheet of best-quality ready-rolled puff pastry (about 24 cm square)
50 g sharp cheddar, grated
600 g oxheart tomatoes (about 5 medium)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

Method

Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the pastry sheet on the tray. Using a fork, prick the pastry all over, then scatter with the cheese, making sure you go right to the edges.

Slice the tomatoes in half vertically, then into half moons around 5 mm thick (you should get around 6 slices from each half). Starting from the top right-hand corner of the pastry, lay the tomato slices over the cheese, slightly overlapping in lines across the pastry, making sure you go right to the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220 C. Place a heavy-based baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and heat for at least 30 minutes.

Remove the tart from the fridge, season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Carefully slide the paper onto the preheated tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through if necessary to ensure even browning.

Using a spatula and tongs, carefully remove the sheet of paper from under the tart and bake for another 10–15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp on the base and the tomatoes are lightly scorched and dehydrated.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Season with a little more salt and pepper. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

You can make this a few hours ahead, then warm in the oven prior to serving.

Placing the baking tray in the oven to preheat stops the pastry from becoming soggy from the tomatoes as they bake, giving you a super crisp result.

If you can’t find oxheart or similar heirloom tomatoes, try with other ripe tomatoes.

Experiment with other vegetables like very thinly sliced potatoes, mushrooms or zucchini. Whatever you choose, just keep it simple and don’t overload the pastry. You could also top with very thin slices of prosciutto for extra decadence.

Credits: Two Good

Photo Credits: Two Good