Recipe Repost: Tomato Basil Tart with Sweet Balsamic Reduction

Summer just gives me hankerings for tomatoes. Anyone with me?

Either cookied, in salads, or just to snack on-- I've got tomatoes on my mind. In honor of this summer fruit, I thought I'd share one of my favorite savory tart recipes that I created when I was still blogging on Yumology. This tomato tart is satisfying and delicious, but also very healthy.

More power to the tomatoes.

Tomato Basil Tart

*serves 6-8 on a 12″ tart dish

Cornmeal Crust (adapted from Ellie Krieger)

1 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 tbsp cold water

Preheat oven to 375ºF

1. Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Incorporate butter and oil by adding and pulsing until mixture resembles crumbly and small pebbles. While food processor is on, stream in cold water until a loose dough is formed.

2. On a 12″ tart dish, press in cornmeal dough to form a 1/8″ thick crust around the sides and bottom. Cover with aluminum foil and fill dish with dry beans or rice to weigh it down. Bake for 10 minutes, remove foil and weight, and then bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Change oven temperature to 400ºF.

Tomato Basil Tart Filling

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 3/4 tbsp 

1 tbsp white truffle oil

3 fresh garlic cloves, minced 

 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

 3 medium sized tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp white truffle oil and minced garlic (to infuse the oils). Mix and set aside.

2. In a medium pan,  heat 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and add the sliced onions. Add a pinch of salt and cook on medium-low heat until translucent (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Use a brush to thinly coat the tart shell with the garlic oil. Pour any remaining oil and garlic on the crust and spread. Layer 1/4 of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. Spread the onions evenly over the tart, layer another fourth of the cheeses, and cover with the chopped basil. Add another fourth of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese then layer the sliced tomatoes on the tart (overlapping if necessary). Add remaining cheese, light sprinkling of salt and pepper, and drizzle the 3/4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil over the tart. Bake, uncovered, at 400º F for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and tomatoes have wilted. Garnish with extra basil if desired.

Sweet Balsamic Reduction

*makes about 1/3 cup (his was more than enough for the tart so I saved the leftovers in a container to eat with meat dishes, fruit, etc. in the near future).

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp white sugar

1. In a small sauce pot, add the balsamic vinegar and cook on medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low (making sure it does not boil) and stir occasionally. When vinegar reduces by half, add sugars and stir to combine. Continue to cook until reduction is thick, syrupy and coats the back of a spoon.

2. With a spoon, drizzle over tomato tart.