Heirloom Tomato Tart

 

I don't know why it is that, whenever I get within 15 feet of a farmer's market, I get an overwhelming urge to buy a sh*t ton of tomatoes. 

Maybe it's because I can't grow them myself.

Needless to say, I had to find something to do with all the tomatoes we got at a farmer's market the other day.

1 1/2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

salt and pepper

1 12-inch round pie crust dough (just save yourself the grief and buy the refrigerated kind)

3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 TB basil and thyme, basil chiffonaded - I don't know if that's a word - and thyme leaves removed from stem

1 large egg

1/3 cup ricotta cheese (optional) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and arrange tomato slices on the towels. Sprinkle them with slat and let them sit a minimum of 10 minutes (and up to an hour) to dry a bit. Blot them with additional paper towels.

Roll the pie crust to a 12-inch circle on a piece of parchment paper. Slide the crust and paper onto a baking sheet. Top the crust with cheddar cheese, basil, and thyme, leaving a 1-inch border. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.

Arrange tomatoes on top of cheese. Top with dollops of ricotta, if using and a few additional thyme sprigs to make it pretty. Fold border of crust over the filling. Beat the egg with 1 TB of water to create an egg wash and brush that on top of the crust.

Bake 30 minutes, until golden brown.