Tomato & Boursin tart

You say tomato, I say tomato... (photo by Ashley)

This is one of the easiest but tastiest tarts I’ve ever made. It’s based vaguely on a recipe that my boyfriend’s mum cut out of a magazine many years ago, but I’ve no idea which one! It’s perfect to rustle up for guests as you can make it in advance and reheat it before serving. It can be served hot, warm, or cold and you can have it as a starter or as part of a main with some salad and new potatoes.

So fresh and delicious! (photo by Ashley)
So fresh and delicious! (photo by Ashley)

You need:

  • ready rolled quality puff pastry (I like the ones that specify they are made with butter)
  • A whole boursin (the round one that’s the size of a fist)
  • handful of Parmesan
  • large handful of basil leaves
  • 8-10 tomatoes which are all roughly the same size
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  1. Preheat your oven to 180°c.
  2. Line a tart tin with your puff pastry. If you don’t gave a tart tin, any shallow baking tray will do. You can usually leave the pastry on the paper it comes on but do check your packaging. Prick it with a fork (though ideally leave half an inch around the outside unpricked) and stick it in the fridge to rest.
  3. Chop the tomatoes finely and evenly into round discs. Put all the end bits in one pile.
  4. Chop up the basil until it’s fairly fine and mix that into the boursin. Add the Parmesan and mix it.
  5. Take out the pastry. Spread the boursin mix over the tart, leaving at least half an inch round the outside of the tart.
  6. Now, starting with the outside, lay the tomato slices in overlapping concentric circles. You can use the odd ends too – the tart will shrink down as it cooks and it will all even out.
  7. When the tart is covered in tomato, drizzle it with a dash of olive oil and season, then put it in the oven. After 20 minutes, turn the temperature down to 160° and bake for another 20 – 30 mins. Check on it regularly as all pastry brands are slightly different – if you can lift up a tiny edge of the tart to see underneath, do that. If it’s cooked, take it out. If not, stick it back in for another 10 mins. It should be crisp and without a soggy bottom.
  8. When it’s done, remove it and put it on a cooling rack to cool – or, serve it straight from the tin if it’s difficult to get out.

Enjoy!

Moi, avec tart. (photo by Jack)

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