Corn, Tomato, and Basil Tart

Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. 

~Author Unknown

My tomato plants are doing well with warm and rainy weather.  

Roasted Tomatoes with Corn and Basil Tart
Cook's Notes:
A tart that's a lighter fare for dinner with a salad or fruit perfect for an evening meal. Using yellow (Comets) tomatoes was a good contrast with red cherry tomatoes. I roasted them ahead of preparing the tart. The recipe was adapted from BHG August 2008. Use a 10-inch tart pan or a 9-inch pie pan for this recipe. I thought the tart tasted even better the next day. I found reheating a piece on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 5- 8 minutes was better than microwaving to avoid a soggy crust. Pappy's Pie Crust Dough balls found in the freezer section work well for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• Prepared pie crust to fit a 10 inch tart pan.
• 2 cups diced tomatoes-red and yellow are a good contrast
• 1-1/2 cups cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss cheese or a combination, grated
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1-1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon each of parsley flakes and Elote seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard or 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup fresh corn about 3 cobs or use frozen corn as a substitute
• 3/4 cup half and half
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onions or 1/3 cup green onions, diced

Directions:

• Place halved tomatoes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with dried snipped basil. 
• Roast at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Drain roasted tomatoes on a double-lined paper towel and set aside.

Crust

• Roll out crust on a floured wax paper to make an 11-12 inch circle. Place tart pan on the center of the wax paper and flip it over so the crust is in the tart pan,. Trim overlapping crust from fluted edges. Prick the sides and bottom crust with a fork.
  
• Use two pieces of foil to fit snugly into the tart pan pressing firmly up to the edges.
  
• Chill the crust in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Bake tart crust for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake 4 minutes longer-set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and place a baking sheet on a lower rack to catch any drips.

Filling

• In a blender add eggs, cream, mustard, seasonings, and basil and blend to mix well.
• Sprinkle on crust diced onions, grated cheese, drained roasted tomatoes, corn, and basil.
• Take long strips of foil and crimp around the outside edges of the tart pan to prevent browning.
• Slowly by cupful pour the cream mixture over the crust.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is cooked. Cool for 10 minutes and remove the sides of the pan to serve. Sprinkle with additional chopped tomatoes and basil.
• Optional top each slice with a dollop of salsa.

Variations: Add green chilies, black olives, or diced zucchini to the bottom of tart before adding the filling.

HAVE A GREAT DAY