Summer is finally in full swing in Michigan and I am happy happy happy about it. We’ve been fighting summer colds, so I’m not super thrilled about that, but I’ll take the hot summer days nonetheless. The kids were both sick over the 4th of July holiday, and I was sick all weekend. Ben and I still managed to squeeze in a little fun over the holiday, thanks to kind in-laws willing to babysit so we can keep our plans, despite our kids being under the weather.
Next Independence Day, I’m whipping up this tart and inviting everyone over! Who’s coming over? This tomato tart is really easy to make, but it’s so visually stunning. I ordered the tomatoes via Shipt on the day I planned to photograph this, and I’m likely the most high-maintenance Shipt shopper ever, but I tip well. I had originally put heirloom tomatoes and mini heirloom tomatoes on my list, but I knew my chances were slim for late June heirlooms in Michigan.
Sure enough, my shopper texted me and said there weren’t any large heirlooms. She asked if I wanted kumato tomatoes (they’re the pretty dark ones). I said yes, and then I also asked for the biggest reddest tomatoes they had. End of story, I ended up with enough tomatoes for about 6 tarts, but it was worth it.
Tomato Tart Basics
This tart starts with frozen puff pastry. It’s a great thing to have on hand (you can use it for this asparagus tart, too), and it thaws super quickly at room temp. When the tart is thawed, you’ll roll it out a little using a rolling pin and parchment paper. This makes it a little bigger so you have more room for all the good stuff! You’ll score the edges to make a crust and then poke the middle all over with a fork. This keeps it from puffing up as much as the rest, so you get that nice crust all the way around the edge. As you can see from the photo below, perfection is not necessary here.
While you bake the crust, you can prep the ricotta filling. It’s super fresh and flavorful thanks to lots of lemon and fresh herbs. My favorite trifecta of herbs, as a matter of fact: Parsley, chives, and mint. You’ll find the same trio in this addicting feta dip recipe. It’s fresh and screams spring-summer, but the fresh mint always throws in a little curveball for people…they’re always asking, “What’s in this? It’s so good!” Same with the feta dip — trust me on this one. When the flaky, irresistible puff pastry has cooled down, you’ll spread on the ricotta mixture. Next, you get to become an artist with the tomatoes, arranging them however way you think looks best! Sprinkle with a little extra herbs (I went with mint), drizzle with the best extra virgin olive oil you have, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. It’s appetizer perfection and you are going to L-O-V-E it.
Other great summer appetizers:
7 layer dip – summer, fall, winter, spring…there’s never a bad time for 7 layer dip Mango Avocado Salsa – so good on shrimp tacos, but fantastic on chips too Mexican Corn Dip – always a huge hit Hot Caprese Dip – cheesy perfection Salted and Spiced Melon from Bon Appetit – I’m intrigued by this! Crispy Prosciutto, Asparagus, and Brie Toast from Half Baked Harvest
Quick-Start Guide!
