I’m sad to say the first time I had a true heirloom tomato was only a month ago. I’d been hearing all of the buzz about them, but it wasn’t until my birthday dinner at Dressler that I finally had a chance to try a stack of heirloom slices with my halibut entree. So, is the hype true? Do heirloom tomatoes really put their standard supermarket brethren to shame? I say absolutely. Not only do they have a superior taste and texture, they look fabulous, with a variety of colors ranging from green with zebra-like stripes to deep purple.
There are hundreds of varieties, but they can all be defined by a few key factors: they aren’t genetically modified in any way, no hybrids, they are the result of open-pollination (natural pollination), and the seeds have been passed down for decades, some saying at least 50 years, while some define heirlooms at 100 years.
I picked up a pint of small heirlooms last weekend at the Union Square Greenmarket from Tim Stark’s stand, however the photos above are from this week’s late day remains from another stand. Recipe-wise, they can be used in all of the ways your standard tomato can, but I think any recipe that overpowers their unique flavors is kind of a waste. I like chopping them into 1/2″ by 1/2″ cubes, tossing with a bit of olive oil and small bits of basil, sprinkling with a pinch of salt, and serving alongside any meat or veggie entree that could use a kick of acidity.
Last Sunday, I made the tart below using the small heirlooms and it was a great side dish to a peppercorn encrusted steak. This recipe comes from Heidi Swanson’s amazing online cooking resource, 101cookbooks.com.
Heirloom Tomato Tart in a Parmesan Crust
This recipe will make one 9 or 10-inch tart OR five 4 1/2-inch tarts.
-6 perfect, colorful, medium-sized heirloom tomatoes – washed and sliced 1/6-inch thick
-1 t. fine-grain sea salt
-1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
-1/2 cup unsalted organic butter, well chilled + cut into 1/4-inch cubes
-4-ounce chunk of good fresh Parmesan, microplane-grated (you should end up with about 2 cups loosely packed grated cheese. Save any leftover grated cheese for sprinkling on the crusts when they come out of the oven.
-2 T. ice cold water
-2T. best quality extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup slivered basil
Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Prep the tomatoes:
To avoid a soggy crust later on, you need to rid the tomatoes of some of their liquid. Clear a space on your counter and put down a double layer of absorbent paper towels. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on the paper towels and sprinkle them with about 1 teaspoon fine-grained sea salt. Top the tomatoes with another layer of paper towels and press gently. Let the tomatoes sit here until you are ready to use them.
Make the tart crust(s):
Place both flours, butter, and Parmesan in a food processor and pulse quickly about 25 times. You are looking for a sandy textured blend, punctuated with pea-sized pieces of butter. With a few more pulses, blend in the 2T of ice water. The dough should stick together when your pinch it between two fingers. Pour the dough into the tart pan (Mo Note: For the tart-pan deprived like myself, you can make this work in a basic round or rectangular baking pan of comparable size, taking care to create a decent rim along the edges. It won’t look as pretty, but will still taste good). Working quickly, press the dough uniformly into the pan by pressing across the bottom and working towards the sides and up to form a rim. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 15 minutes.
Bake the tart crust:
Pull the tarts out of the refrigerator and poke each a few times with the tongs of a fork. Cover the tart with a square of aluminum foil and fill generously with pie weights (Mo Note: No pie weights? You can cover the tart crust with foil and then fill with uncooked beans of your choosing. They will provide even weight and are cost effective). Place on a baking sheet and slide the tart onto the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, pull the shell out of the oven and very gently peel back and remove the tinfoil containing the pie weights. Place the uncovered tart back in the oven, weight free, and allow to cook for another 10 minutes, or until it is a deep golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little shredded Parmesan (this will act as another barrier to the tomato liquid). Let cool to room temperature before filling.
Assembling the tart: Just before serving, arrange tomato slices in a concentric pattern inside the tart shell. Drizzle with your best quality extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with the slivered basil. Serve at room temperature.
Mark my words, Mo, this blog is going to make you famous.
I bought the Mollie Katzen book–the slightly abridged version, so as not to overwhelm my dad. Thanks so much for the recommendation! I can’t wait to hear from him about his cooking adventures! – L
Thanks Laks!
Let me know how his moosewood cooking adventures go!