Feeling Tart-y

I know, I’m rushing the season on tomatoes, but I bought some small vine-ripened ones that actually taste like tomatoes.  I used them to make a tart for dinner last night.

It was a perfect night to eat on the deck, the only thing missing was my GI Joe.  On the other hand, if he were home, I probably would have made something more manly.  It was also National Cheese Day (but that’s every day here in Wisconsin!), so I felt justified.  The hooligans loved this, by the way.  We had a green salad and fresh pineapple with it.

Gorgonzola and Tomato Tart

• 1 9 inch refrigerated pie crust
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or olive oil cooking spray
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 ounces part skim ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . Unroll the piecrust and press it into a 9-inch tart pan(or a pie pan will work, too). Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork, spray with cooking spray or brush with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and bake for 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, Gorgonzola and egg until combined. Remove the tart shell from the oven. Spoon the cheese mixture into the tart shell and top with the tomato slices; season with pepper and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

If you’re not a fan of strong cheeses, you can substitute any soft cheese for the Gorgonzola.  I think this would be good if you brushed the shell with pesto before baking, then used a milder cheese such as Feta.

Now I can’t wait for my tiny tomato plants to start producing. Good thing I planted Early Girls, since I want instant gratification!

Click here to print the recipe