Six O’Clock Solution: Tomato Goat Cheese Pie Is Easy As Pie

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Whether you grow your own tomatoes or buy baskets of this sweet, juicy fruit at farmers’ markets, you may be ready for new ways to enjoy them on the table. This classic French tart takes advantage of any size of ripe tomato, from those giant misshapen ones to tiny cherry tomatoes. The recipe turns them into a colorful dish for lunch or dinner with minimal work. It’s one of 44 recipes in a little cookbook called Tomato Love (Storey/Thomas Allen, $19.95), by New England food writer and recipe developer Joy Howard.

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If your garden has produced a lot of kale, Howard offers a casserole recipe combining it with tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. He makes tomato and onion jam to spread on toast, or hot sauce to serve with French fries, or an entrée salad with beans, corn, peppers, and quinoa, or a roasted tomato basil soup. The ideas seem endless, the recipes are well tested, and the photographs by Joe St. Pierre are delightful.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

8 servings

9-inch (23-cm) unbaked single-crust pie pan

1 1/2 pounds (750g) tomatoes, halved if small, wedges if large

1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) Herbes de Provence or dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) kosher or coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon (15ml) butter

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1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil

4 large dried shallots, sliced

1 tablespoon (15 mL) plus 2 teaspoons (10 mL) Dijon mustard

2 ounces (50 g / 1/4 cup) goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C). Line the pie crust with dried beans or pie weights and bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust begins to brown around the edges. Remove beans and bake another 5 minutes, then remove from oven and raise oven temperature to 425 F (220 C). (If pie crust is frozen, follow package directions for partial baking.)

In a strainer, combine the tomatoes, herbs, salt, and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes to drain excess liquid.

Heat the butter and oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the shallots until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

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Spread mustard over bottom of partially baked pie crust and sprinkle with cooked shallots.

Spread the tomatoes evenly on top and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender and slightly browned in spots and pie crust is golden brown. Turn the cake halfway through baking.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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