Tomato Basil Tart

This tart recipe comes from Canadian Living's Best Vegetables cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup grated asiago cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil [or approx. 1 tsp dried]

2 egg yolks

1/2 tsp. salt

dash hot pepper sauce [optional]

4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 Tb. olive oil

Pastry*:

1 2/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup shortening

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. white vinegar

ice water

*or if you prefer, you can skip making your own pastry and use something ready made.

Pastry:

1. In bowl, stir together flour, thyme and salt; with pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening until crumbly. In measuring cup, blend together egg yolk, vinegar and enough ice water to make 1/2 cup; sprinkle over flour mixture, tossing with fork until dough holds together. Press into disc; wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. On lightly floured surface or using pastry cloth and stockinette-covered rolling pin, roll out pastry to 14-inch circle; fit onto 12-inch round pizza pan.

In bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of the Asiago cheese, basil, egg yolks, salt and hop pepper sauce; spread over pastry. (In the above photo, I used store bought puff pastry as the base).

Arrange tomatoes over top, pressing gently.


Brush tomatoes with oil; sprinkle remaining Asiago cheese around border. Fold pastry border over filling. Bake in 425 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until crust is golden. Makes 6 servings.