I’m just going to say this: there’s something downright sexy about roasted tomatoes.  I think it’s a combination of their concentrated intensity; their meatiness; their blood-red color; their dripping juices.  Whatever it is, they just feel somehow decadent and lusty.  So does the fact that I bound them into these neat little tarts make me a prude?

Lest you get the wrong impression, I would generally concur that the ideal way to eat roasted tomatoes is warm from the oven, with some good crusty bread and maybe a little cheese alongside.  But if you have some left over, these tarts rank a close second.  If you’ve never had slow-roasted tomatoes, I beg you to try them.  They couldn’t be easier to make, and if you’re really feeling lazy you can even buy them at some fancy grocery stores (sold at the olive bar).  I’m later than I wanted to be in getting this post up, and I know tomato season is quickly coming to a close, but in a pinch you can get decent results using grocery-store Roma tomatoes year round.

However or whenever you get your hands on some roasted tomatoes, this is a wonderful way to showcase them.  I made a cornmeal-rosemary crust, filled it with these gems, poured a simple custard over top and finished it with a little microplaned Grana Padano. Rien de plus simple. Pair with something green (a simple green salad, or some garlicky sautéed spinach) for a light supper, or some crispy bacon and a little fruit salad for brunch.

Have I convinced you yet?  If only a photo could convey aroma, texture, and of course, flavor, we’d be all set.  But while we’re waiting for Apple to pioneer the iSmell, you’ll just have to take my word that these little tarts are one of the best things to come out of my kitchen in a long time.

Little Roasted Tomato Tarts with Cornmeal-Rosemary Crust
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You can, of course, make one large tart, but for some reason I was compelled to put these in individual tart pans.  Yes, there is a “cute factor”, but also I wanted to be able to bake a couple at a time so as not to have soggy leftovers.

1/2 recipe Cornmeal-Rosemary crust (recipe follows)
about 1 1/2-2 cups roasted Roma tomatoes (recipe follows)
herbes de Provence or other herbs of your choice, if tomatoes are plain
3-4 eggs (see notes)
3/8-1/2 cup light cream (see notes)
salt & freshly gound black pepper
Grana Padano or Parmesan for grating

6 small (5-inch)tart pans or 1 10-inch tart pan

Notes: I am using the custard ratio from the book Once Upon a Tart- 1 egg to 1/8 cup cream- so if you don’t have enough, you can make more based on this formula.  The book calls for light cream, which I approximate by cutting heavy cream with a little milk.  If you make your tart in a single tart pan, or if you don’t pack the tomatoes in, you may find you need a little extra.  If your tomatoes have been kept in oil, blot them well with paper towel so you don’t end up with a greasy tart.

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 400º.  Roll out your dough and press it into the tart pan(s), putting them in the fridge as you go.  Let rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.   Prick the crust with a fork.  Set the tart shells on a cookie sheet, line them with foil and dried beans or pie weights and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and weights and bake until golden brown all over, about 10 more minutes. (If you’re using a single tart shell, you may want to take it out when it’s about 75% cooked.  For the small tarts, they cook pretty quickly, so it’s better to have the crust fully cooked first.)

Reduce the oven temp to 375º.  Fill the tart(s) with the roasted tomatoes, cut side facing up.  If your tomatoes are plain, you can sprinkle a pinch of herbes de Provence or other herbs of your choice over the top.  Whisk together the eggs, milk and cream, adding a couple dashes of salt and pepper.  I like to do this in a Pyrex measuring cup for easy pourability. Drizzle the tarts with the custard mixture, making sure to fill the gaps in between the tomatoes.  The upturned tomato halves will serve as little “cups” that will catch the custard as well.  You’ll want to stop a little shy of the crust’s rim, so your custard doesn’t overflow when baked.   Grate some cheese over the tops.

Place tarts in the oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 15-20 minutes (but peek in on them after 10).  If you’re doing a full-sized tart, it’ll probably take closer to 30 minutes.  When done, place on a cooling rack, removing from the pan as soon as they are cool enough to handle.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Roma Tomatoes printer-friendly version

Perhaps you’ll recall that I had mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to try these?  They didn’t disappoint. All I can say is that if I’d realized that 1 large box (1/2 a bushel,  I think) would shrink down to a mere few cups, I would have bought at least twice as many.  Live and learn, I suppose.  I made three different “flavors”- one with thyme, rosemary and marjoram from my backyard (herbes de Ferndale?), one with coriander (as per Molly’s recipe) and one with smoked paprika.  I put the latter two in some olive oil and into the freezer to enjoy later when the weather turns unfriendly and I need a reminder of the sun on my face (yes, tomatoes can do that).  The tomatoes with the herb mixture went into the aforementioned tarts.

In reading up on the tomato-roasting method, many people recommended a much longer, slower roasting time (10-12 hours as opposed to the 6 suggested by Molly & Luisa).  I decided to try this so I could do it overnight rather than heating up the house during the day.  It would have been fine except my oven didn’t get down to 200º, it was more like 250º, so a few of the tomatoes around the edges of the pan had to be pitched. However, I do think there is something to be said for the slower roast.  Judging by the photos, I think my tomatoes were a bit more concentrated than the 6-hour version; their flavor approached that of a sun-dried tomato but retained a little juiciness.  I would say, start taste-testing them after 6 hours and see what suits you.  If you’re using them in a sauce, you may choose to leave them a little juicier since they would be cooking down further in the sauce.

You’ll need:

Roma tomatoes, the more the better, as they cook down quite a bit, and you can freeze leftovers (you’ll need about one tightly-packed cookie sheet’s worth to make the tarts)
olive oil
sea salt
herb(s) or spice(s) of your choice

Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, removing the little stem end, and place on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Brush or lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Using your fingers, sprinkle with a little sea salt and any herbs or seasoning you wish to use.  Remember that the flavors will become very concentrated, so less is better than too much.  Place in a 200º oven for 6-10 hours according to your preferences.  To store, you can keep them in the fridge for a couple weeks covered in olive oil, or freeze until hard on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a sealable freezer bag (this will keep them from clumping together).

Cornmeal-Rosemary Tart Crust (adapted from Once Upon a Tart)
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Makes enough for two 9″ or 10″ tart shells.  Half a recipe will make 6 individual 4″ tarts.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
3 Tbs semolina flour (cornmeal)
1 tsp salt
12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ cubes (I stick it in the freezer for a few minutes after I cut it up)
3 Tbs cold solid vegetable shortening
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
glass of ice water

When I made my last batch of this, I didn’t have any shortening on hand so I used all butter, to no ill effect.

Directions: Place the flour, cornmeal and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter and shortening and pulse the processor in brief bursts until the mixture is sandy and there are no more visible chunks of butter.  DO NOT overprocess or your crust will be tough!

Dump the crumbly mixture into a bowl and stir in the chopped rosemary.  Sprinkle with ice water, one Tbs. at a time,  coaxing the dough with a wooden spoon until it begins to come together.  You want to add just enough water to allow this to happen; you don’t want it to be so wet that it becomes sticky or has white spots. If you’re not sure, go slow.

When the dough starts to come together, use your hands to gather it up and form it into two balls, taking care not to over-handle it.  Wrap each half in plastic and flatten them into disks with the palm of your hand.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out.