Tomato, Cheese & Herb Tart

From the 1995 KLO dinner — France

Tomato, Cheese & Herb Tart

Crust:

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 4 Tbsp (about) ice water

Filling:

• 5 medium tomatoes cut into 1/2″ thick slices
• 9 oz Emmenthal or Gruyére cheese, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp minced, fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced, fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1 tsp minced, fresh oregano or 1/4 tsp dried
• 3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the crust: Combine the flour and salt in the processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add enough water by Tbsp to form moist clumps. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13″ round. Transfer to 11″ diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Freeze crust 15 minutes. Line crust with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake until pale golden about 15 minutes more. Cool crust on a rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature).

For the filling: Cut each tomato slice in half. Place tomato slices on paper towels and let drain 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375º. Top crust with the Emmenthal cheese slices. Arrange the tomatoes atop the cheese, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle herbs, then Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes. Season with pepper. Bake until cheese melts and tomatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove the tart pan sides. Cut tart into wedges and serve. Serves 8