What's Pressoir Cooking?

October 7, 2021

by Raj Vaidya

Indian Summer Tomato Tart

Though the end of summer is nearly a distant memory today, the tomato harvest continues to deliver insanely delicious, sweet and yet high acid cherry tomatoes in the New York area. I figured it was time to celebrate a great tomato season with one last hurrah…

Tomato Parmesan Tart

Tart Shell:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 cup cold cubed sweet butter

2 teaspoons salt

Combine in food processor and pulse till grainy textured.

Add 3 tablespoons of cold water and pulse till dough is malleable.

Press into a greased baking pan, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, then press down with weights (I used rice on top of wax paper to press it flat) and bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins.  Remove the weights and fill with the following while still warm:

Add 2 pints of cleaned and dried cherry tomatoes, whole, and interspersed with picked thyme, 4 cloves worth of roasted garlic purée and 1/4 cup of salt cured capers to the tart shell.  Drizzle with excellent olive oil.

Return to the 350 degree oven for 15-20 mins uncovered till the tomatoes begin to show signs of sweating.  

Add shaved Parmesan on top and place under the broiler on high for a minute to melt the cheese.  

I served this alongside some grilled Italian sausages so as to make the whole meal quite friendly to red Burgundy but if having it on its own perhaps a dry Mosel Riesling may be a better pairing.  It wasn’t bad with a mag of Rousseau Chambertin last night :).