Tomato Tartlets
There are hundreds of variations on this concept and they are all delicious. You do whatever tickles your fancy, but remember that with pastry I do believe that less is more. I buy organic puff pastry from any store without feeling the slightest bit guilty. In fact, even some of the world’s top restaurants also buy it due to how labor intensive it is to make it from scratch.
Ingredients:
Puff pastry
Organic tomatoes
Basil
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper
Method:
Cut the tomatoes in half, horizontally (it keeps the inside in tact) and place on wax paper on a baking tray flat side up. Drizzle with olive oil, and slow roast on a very low oven for 2 hours to dehydrate. Put to the side to cool. Let the pastry thaw completely and unfold on a flat surface. Do not roll out with a rolling pin. Cut squares or circles, each slightly bigger than one of your tomato halves. Lightly dust a baking try with flour, or use another sheet of wax paper, and place your pastry shapes on the tray.
Position the tomato in the center, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and black pepper and bake on 400° for around 15mins, or until the pastry is golden brown.
Tips:
Tomatoes are naturally salty, so careful not to over season. They also contain plenty of sugar, so if your oven is too hot they will burn and become bitter.
The dehydrated tomatoes are soft when cooked, so be careful when you handle them. Peeled tomatoes do not work as they make the pastry soggy. These can be done in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Add the fresh basil after cooking the tartlets because this soft herb will wilt and lose its flavor. I made this mistake, but now I know for next time. Not a train wreck in my book.
Easy on the balsamic vinegar, or it will be overwhelming.
Red onion, rosemary, goat’s cheese, feta or basil pesto all work very well with tomato, so try different combinations.