Ingredients for the Tart (Makes two large tarts or 8 meal-size tarts)
- Pre-packaged puff pastry, defrosted in your refrigerator
- 3-4 large or several small tomatoes, sliced and dried on some paper towels
- Fresh basil
- 1 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup crumbled feta (or goat) cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
- Olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- Freshly grated orange zest
- Egg wash: 1 egg mixed with 1 TB milk or cream
Ingredients for Mama's Domata Salsta
- 2 1/2 lbs (about 3 to 4 large) tomatoes, whole, with stems and cores removed. To save time, use 2 20 oz cans of stewed tomatoes if you don't want to peel them yourself.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Medium sized carrot
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Directions for Tart
1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2) The base of our tart is the puff pastry. We roll it out on a floured board and score it about an inch in from the edge. This will create a risen border. We prick the base of the tart to prevent overrising in the middle. Place this on a parchment lined sheet pan. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
3) Then, into a bowl we place the soft cheeses, a tsp of orange zest, some cracked black pepper (remember the feta is salty) and a TB or 2 of olive oil. Mix this gently. We have sliced a variety of tomatoes and placed them on some paper towels to absorb a bit of their moisture, so as not to have a soggy tart.
4) Flatten the inside of the baked pastry gently with your hand. Spoon in the cheese mixture and spread evenly to the edges. Paint the edges of the tart with egg wash for a beautiful shine. Place your tomatoes in a decorative fashion over the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and the parmesan. Drizzle top with olive oil and bake for another 8 minutes until the tomatoes are a little soft and the crust is deep golden.
5) Once out of the oven, garnish with a little more orange zest and some torn or chiffonade basil. You can serve this immediately or at room temperature.
Directions for the Domata Salsta
1) Sautee the onion in olive oil, cut them up fine. Then add the garlic but not for long so it doesn't burn. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Then add the peeled tomatoes (below)
2) Place the tomatoes and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute, then remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and submerge them in a large bowl of ice water. Quickly slip their skins off and return them to the cooking water. Set over medium-high heat and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender.
After putting the tomatoes in with the onions, add one medium size sized grated carrot for sweetness. Then a few basil leaves and simmer for 30 minutes in a Le Creuset pot.
3) Remove the saucepan from the heat and mash the tomatoes into a chunky purée with a large fork or potato masher.
Add the salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered and stirring frequently, over medium heat, until the mixture has reduced to a thick chunky sauce, about 20 minutes more. Remove from heat, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Tip: double or triple recipe while tomatoes are in season. Stewed tomatoes will keep in freezer for up to a year
Get more information about this episode >>
Check out more delicious recipes at the Home & Family Pinterest Page