Caprese Tart

Tomatoes -- we love 'em, especially when they're at their best. This tart can be made with any of your favorite varieties, but just make sure you de-seed the juicier ones so as not to make the crust turn soggy.

This type of tart is a common sight in our house. It can be made using any vegetables you have on hand. In fact, I just made a yellow squash and zucchini tart for a dinner party the other night. I've also made a gorgonzola and caramelized onion tart and even a goat cheese and wild mushroom tart. So, be creative and see what fun and unusual combinations you can come up with for dinner tonight.

Caprese Tart

Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
sea salt

1/3 cup olive oil
water (cold)

Place dry ingredients into a food processor and start it up. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and then add enough cold water so that mixture gathers together into a ball. Wrap dough in plastic and place it into the fridge for 20 minutes to rest.

Filling:
1/4 cup mascarpone
1 egg
4 cloves of garlic
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Topping:
6 Roma tomatoes (thinly sliced)
4  ounces buffalo mozzarella (the small ones about the size of an olive work best here)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 leaves of basil (torn)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a silpat-lined baking sheet, roll out the crust into a large rectangle about 1/8 of an inch thick. Fold the sides and ends up to form a retaining wall for the filling...it doesn't need to be beautiful, just functional. 

Par-bake the crust until lightly golden for about 10 minutes. First, pour in the filling and then place the tomatoes and cheese on top. Return the tart to the oven for another 20 minutes or so. You want the filling to be set and the tomatoes to begin to brown. Remove tart from the oven and drizzle it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Garnish with torn basil leaves just before serving.