Tomato Tart: The recipe

With my Aunt Joan coming for lunch, I looked for a special recipe to show off my late summer tomato harvest. Again, I turned to Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. A few weeks ago I made a delicious tomato and beet salad from the September issue, which is all about tomatoes. Today I tried the cover recipe, tomato and goat cheese tart. This is extra special thanks to sauteed leeks and of course, a nice helping of fresh tomatoes. And it was really simple to make because you buy the pastry dough in the supermarket. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who loves tomatoes. If you don't love goat cheese, you can try Feta or just go without. I used a mix of heirlooms, including chocolate stripe, green tomatoes and yellow cherries. What a great combination. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients: (makes one 12-inch tart)

All-purpose flour, for rolling

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 large leeks, white and light-green parts only

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3/4 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if large, or plum or beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick, or a combination

2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or basil leaves

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to a 12-inch square; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over pastry. Fold over 1/2-inch border on all sides and press edges to seal. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise; rinse thoroughly, pat dry, and slice 1/4-inch thick. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are very soft, 5 minutes. Arrange leeks evenly over sour cream mixture on pastry. Top with tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bake until pastry is golden brown and crisp, 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Top with goat cheese and herbs before cutting into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.