I have become bored lately with cooking up my tried and trues. So, when this girl gets bored, I explore. Such is the case with a new cookbook that I picked up recently (yes, I support other cookbook authors), that is quickly becoming a fav. I am in love with this cookbook especially since I am not a meat-eater. The cookbook is by Milk Street’s Christopher Kimball, entitled Vegetables. Talk about getting right the the heart of the matter; love, love, love the title. If you love vegetables as much as I do, you might want to pick up a copy.
And so over the summer, I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes from his book with my own little twists. You do know we cooks always have to give our own spin.
My first feature is Tomato Tart with Olives and Gruyere. And because l am a “spice-girl”, I added chili oil and arugula as a nice finish. Enjoy!
ingredients
1 pound plum tomatoes (cored and cut crosswise)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry or homemade pie crust, thawed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces Gruyere or provolone cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pitted black olives or green olives, or combo of both
Extra-virgin olive oil
Chili oil
instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees choosing the middle rack position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, onion and a little salt and pepper. Set aside. With a rolling pin, roll the pastry into a 10 by 14 inch rectangle, then place on baking sheet. Score a 1-inch edge around the perimeter of the pastry to create a border. Spread the mustard on the pastry avoiding the 1-inch border. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Use a slotted spoon the spoon the vegetable mixture in an even layer on top of pastry. Discard liquid remaining in the bowl. Sprinkle with the olives and drizzle with a olive oil. Bake until pastry is golden brown; about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Top with chopped arugula and drizzle with chili oil.
