Tomato Basil Tart

The other day we were eating this for dinner and my sister, who often dines with us, asked why this recipe wasn't on my blog.  I was shocked.  Surely it was on my blog.  This is a go-to summertime recipe for me.  So I checked, and lo and behold, she was right.  So here it is.

This recipe is a great way to showcase your garden tomatoes, especially if you (like me) get about 20 ripe all at once.  It's prettier if you have tomatoes of varying size and color, but plain red ones will work just fine. 

The thing I love about this recipe is that it's unique.  The crust is made with pureed corn as well as cornmeal, and gives a great flavor to the crust, which in my opinion is usually the worst part of the pizza.  The fresh herbs and rustic look just add to the overall light and fresh feeling.  It really is my favorite thing to make in summertime. 

As a note, if you can't find fontina cheese you can substitute mozzarella, but it's really much better with the fontina.

Tomato Basil Tart
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs tomatoes
1 tsp salt, divided
1 cup corn kernels (you can use canned, fresh, or frozen)
1 T fresh lemon juice
3 T sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup cold butter
1 T cornmeal
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (you can substitute dried, about 2 T)
4 oz shredded fontina cheese
1 T chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Slice tomatoes into 1/4"-thick circles and arrange in a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and let stand about 20 minutes, while you make the rest of the tart.

Preheat oven to 400F. 
In blender or food processor combine corn, lemon juice, and sour cream, processing until mostly smooth.  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.  Using the large holes in a box grater, grate the cold butter over the flour mixture.  Use hands to toss and rub the butter into the flour mixture until evenly distributed.  Add the corn mixture and mix into a soft dough.

Lay out two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap.  Place the dough on the wrap and press into a circle.  Cover with two more overlapping sheets of plastic wrap.  Roll into a 14-inch circle, then place the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, sprinkle the 1 T cornmeal on a baking sheet in a 12-inch circle.  Combine basil, fontina cheese, oregano, and ground black pepper in a small bowl.

Remove dough from freezer.  Removing plastic wrap, place dough on baking sheet.  Arrange cheese mixture on dough, leaving a 2" border around the edges.  Arrange tomato slices on the cheese, overlapping and creating more than one layer if you have that many tomatoes.  Fold edges of dough in towards the center, slightly overlapping the tomatoes, and crimping the edges to seal. 

Bake at 400F for 35 minutes or until the edges are browned.  Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes 4-5 servings.