Garlic Tomato Tart
A tart as easy to assemble as it is beautiful. Consider this your new favorite recipe for using up your summer tomato bounty. Use either a circular or rectangular tart pan, or even a pie dish, as well as any herbs you like. Use any leftover garlic and herb tofu filling as a tangy, creamy dip for crackers, or spread it on a bagel. (Photo source: Alec Tilly)
| Yield: one tart | Time: 1 hour 30 minutes |
Ingredients
dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup cold butter (dairy or plant-based), cut into cubes
6-8 tablespoons ice water
filling
14-oz block water-packed firm tofu, drained
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
4 medium tomatoes, heirloom or early girls, sliced
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
herbs of choice for garnish
Preparation
Prepare the dough. Mix flour and sea salt together in a large bowl. Use two knives in an x formation (or a pastry cutter) to cut up the butter into the flour until the mixture becomes integrated into small pieces the size of peas.
Add the ice water a few tablespoons at a time and mix with your hands until a scraggy dough forms. Move to a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover in foil to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425F.
While the dough is resting, make the tofu filling. Pat the tofu dry and add to a food processor with the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, mustard, salt, and seasonings. Mix until very smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
After the dough rests for 30 minutes, pre-bake the tart shell. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick and transfer to a tart or pie dish. Fold over and crimp the edges, pressing the dough into the pan. (Gather and freeze any leftover dough for a future galette.) Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans, and bake for 12 minutes.
Remove the tart, discard the beans, and lower oven temperature to 350F.
Fill the tart generously with the tofu and herb filling. Slice tomatoes and arrange on top to cover the entire tart. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and brush melted coconut oil on the crust for a shinier look.
Cook at 350F for 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it—if the edges begin to brown too much, cover them with foil. Remove the tart and garnish with fresh herbs of choice.
Zero waste tips
Buy grains, beans, and spices from the bulk section of a grocery store with your own container. You can even do this with olive oils and vinegars at some places. If inaccessible, buy ingredients in larger bulk containers—this is cheaper in the long run anyway.
Compost whatever scraps you can’t use—yes, you can even do this in a small urban apartment!
Gather leftover pie dough and freeze for a future galette.
Dried beans can still be soaked and cooked after being used once as pie weights (just cook for an extra 10 minutes). Otherwise, set the beans aside, label them, and re-use them indefinitely for more pies.