Roasted Tomato Garlic Tart

I think we can all agree that summer is a pretty fantastic time of year. The days seem endless, and pretty much everyone looks just a little bit better -and thank god for that. But do you want to know what my favorite part is? The produce.

Think about it. Biting into a fresh, juicy summer peach (cue Call Me By Your Name flashback). Nibbling on that sweet, refreshing watermelon and letting the juices run down your chin. Sweet and smoky corn just kissed by the heat of the grill. Pretty f**king good, no?

So, what to do when you have the best of the best at your fingertips? Make the best of it, of course. And since tomatoes tend to be the absolute worst when out of season - pale, mealy & flavorless, like your last bad date - they are also one of the greatest gems of summer. And while you can certainly eat them simply sliced, drizzled with olive oil & sprinkled with salt, I have an idea for you, a gentle suggestion. A roasted tomato garlic tart.

The tomatoes become rich and caramelised from the heat of the oven, and the mixture that holds it in place is unctuous & tangy with hits of herbaceous freshness from the thyme. It's ideal served with a bright green salad for dinner or munched on for breakfast with a few slices of streaky bacon. No matter the day, no matter the time, a slice of this is never a bad idea.

Roasted Tomato Garlic Tart
Adapted from Bon Appétit
Originally posted on gloobles
1 kilo mixed colour tomatoes, seeds scraped out and cut into slices
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
115 grams cultured, unsalted butter
6 large cloves garlic, smashed and skin removed
250 oatcakes, finely ground in a food processor
2 large eggs
300 grams Taleggio, rind removed and coarsely grated
70 grams Parmesan, coarsely grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise (we like Duke's or Kewpie, if you can find them)
1 bunch lemon thyme, leaves stripped from stems

Preheat oven to 250 with a rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Arrange tomatoes in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until the tops start to dry out a bit. Remove from the oven to cool. Reduce oven to 190.

While these roast, place butter and smashed garlic in a small saucepan set over low heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until butter begins to foam and the butter takes on a light golden colour. Be careful not to let the garlic burn! Strain garlic butter through a fine mesh sieve into the food processor with oatcake crumbs, setting the crispy, golden cloves aside for later.

Add the eggs to the food processor with the oatcake crumbs and garlic butter. Add a 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse to combine until mixture looks like wet sand. Press into a 23 cm fluted tart pan. Bake for 8 minutes until it starts to take on colour. Let cool.

In the meantime, mix together Taleggio, Parmesan, mayonnaise, pepper and thyme. Dollop half of mixture into the tart pan and spread to the edges. Layer half of cooled tomatoes over top. Repeat with remaining cheese mixture and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and crust is browned. Allow to cool and sprinkle with thyme leaves for colour.