By Joe Yonan
I don't know about you, but now’s about the time when I get a major hankering for tomatoes. I've held out most of the winter and spring, but now that we've had flashes of warm weather I'm craving the tang of those ripe fruits.
The problem, of course, is that my desires aren't exactly lining up with nature. As with so much produce, I much prefer in-season, local tomatoes over the from-far-away ones I'm seeing in grocery stores now. But even those from nearby that are just starting to show up in farmers markets are the hothouse variety and not nearly as flavourful as those we'll see in July, August and beyond. The little tomato plants in my garden, meanwhile, were finally starting to make some progress before we got a few days of cold rain, which seemed to make them cower.
To the rescue, at least in my kitchen: canned tomatoes, once again. This time, rather than stew them for a pasta sauce or soup, I jumped at the suggestion in The Best of Rose Elliot (Hamlyn, 2014) to turn them into a tart. It's a simple idea, with a couple of nice twists: cumin seed in the crust and eggs nestled into the filling, in the style of that North African dish I love, shakshuka.
Turns out the tart is as variable as the weather. I made it when there was a damp chill in the air, and the meal was warm and hearty and perfect. The next day, the sun came out, my tomato plants started to look alive again, and the tart seemed refreshing — and almost summery — when I ate a slice of it cold.
Mexican Tomato Tart
With Cumin Pastry
8 servings
Serve with a crisp green salad.
You'll need a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
MAKE AHEAD: The pastry dough can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days; bring it to room temperature before rolling out and baking. The filling can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; it can go into the tart shell cold before baking.
Adapted from The Best of Rose Elliot: The Ultimate Vegetarian Collection (Hamlyn, 2014).
Ingredients
For the pastry
2 cups flour, plus more for the work surface
2 teaspoons cumin seed
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
For the filling
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
28 ounces canned, no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 very fresh large eggs
Method:
For the pastry: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the flour, cumin seed, butter and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the butter is reduced to pieces the size of peas. With the motor running, dribble in the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough just starts to hold together. Add extra water as needed.
Lightly flour a work surface.
Transfer the dough to the work surface; knead the dough briefly, then shape it into a flat disk. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 14 inches in diameter, then carefully transfer it to the tart pan. Trim the edges even with the rim and prick the bottom with a fork in several places, then cover it with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add dried beans or coins to weigh it down. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the pastry feels firm to the touch.
Remove the paper or foil and the weights; bake for 10 minutes, until the bottom feels crisp. Remove from the oven; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Pour the oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and bell peppers. Cover and cook until the vegetables begin to get tender, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes; cook, uncovered, until the filling becomes quite thick, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. Remove from the heat; taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
Spread the filling evenly in the parbaked tart shell. Create a large well in the center, for one of the eggs, then create four more, evenly spaced around the edge. Crack the eggs into the depressions and season each one lightly with salt and pepper.
Cover the tart with aluminum foil. Bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Per serving: 320 calories, 9 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 145 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 3 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugar
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