Tomato Onion Tart with Olive Oil Crust

Looking for another way to eat tomatoes since, they’re in season and ready to be served? Of course, you can always opt for the classic BLT. Heck, I like bacon as much as the next person but sometimes you need to give tomatoes a holiday from bacon (or vice versa). This is also a perfect recipe for a brunch or light dinner. It isn’t heavy and if served with a nice salad, it will make a complete meal.

The catch? You have to use fresh, ripe tomatoes. You know those heirloom varieties sold at the farmer’s market? Yeah, those. Buy some and use them for this recipe. It will make a huge difference in the end product.

Now, if you look at the title, you’ll see I mention an olive oil crust. Yes, instead of butter, I made the tart pastry with olive oil and yogurt. Why? Well, I like butter. Trust me. Butter is my friend and I’m always happy to use it. But sometimes I like to see if anything else can replace butter. Nothing is a great substitute for butter, let’s be honest. The tart pastry is not flaky; it’s mealy. BUT it tastes great and works really well in this recipe. I do not suggest using this tart pastry for pies. It just won’t taste right and you'll be frustrated. But this is a savory tart and it works. If you remain skeptical, search out Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee recipe. It’s the standard pie/tart pastry recipe.

Tomato Onion Tart with Olive Oil Crust

Olive Oil Tart Pastry:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon sugar
  
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/3 cup water
  
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  

Tart:

• 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced thin
  
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives (or your favorite olive), pitted and roughly chopped
  
• ½ pound fontina cheese, sliced into ¼ inch slices
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 2-4 medium to large tomatoes, sliced
  
• Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (olive oil, water, and yogurt). Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until combined. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water. If it’s too wet, add a little flour. It should come together like a regular pastry dough (slightly soft but not sticky or crumbly).

Flour the counter and roll the dough into a circle bigger than your tart pan. My tart pan is 11 inches, so I rolled the dough into a 12-inch circle. The tart pastry should be about 1/8-1/4-inch thick. You don’t want it too thick. The pastry might break apart … and that’s perfectly ok. It’s a tart pastry, the most unruly and forgiving of all pastries.

Transfer the pastry to the tart pan and tuck the dough into the pan. If it breaks apart, just fill in the holes with the extra dough. Press any of the overhang against the top of the pan. Make sure the sides are enforced well with dough.

Slide the tart pan onto a baking sheet. Bake for 6-10 minutes. Basically, you are giving the crust a head start in baking.

Remove the tart from the oven and fill it with the tart ingredients. First, layer the onion and olives on the bottom of the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place the sliced cheese on top of the onions. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese.

Return to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool slightly before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature. 

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