WOW! It’s been a while since we posted.
For anyone who grows fresh basil, you know that it sprouts like a WEED! It’s hard to keep up with all those wonderful, lush leaves. Seeing as though it was about to overtake the whole patio, I thought it was time to find a way to use some of it up. That, in combination with tomatoes officially being cleared of all possible salmonella related issues, made a great option of Cooking Light’s Rustic Tomato-Basil Tart.
My very first foray into savory tart making, I found this to be much easier than I thought! The dough came together quickly and easily and didn’t sog up underneath the weight of all those beautiful tomatoes. Mine turned more into a square (hey, it IS called “rustic”), and baked up for a few more minutes than the original recipe called for, but came out looking quite lovely.
1 1/2 pounds medium yellow tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 pounds medium red tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided (I used more like 3/4 cup!)
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 20 minutes; blot dry with paper towels (mine sat for probably 40 minutes).
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place corn, juice, and sour cream in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add corn mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Knead gently 3 or 4 times.
Slightly overlap 2 (16-inch) sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Place dough on plastic wrap; press into a 6-inch circle. Cover with 2 additional (16-inch) sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 14-inch circle; place on a large baking sheet in freezer 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle paper with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Remove 2 sheets of plastic wrap from dough. Place dough, plastic wrap side up, on baking sheet. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap.
Combine 1/4 cup basil, cheese, and oregano. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange cheese mixture on dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Using a sifter or sieve, sift 1 tablespoon flour mixture over cheese mixture. Arrange half of tomatoes over cheese mixture. Sift remaining flour mixture over tomatoes; top with remaining tomatoes. Fold edges of dough toward center; press to seal (dough will only partially cover tomatoes). Bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until crust is brown; let stand 10 minutes (mine baked for about 45 minutes). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup basil and pepper (and I sprinkled with some extra shredded cheese as well).
Baking Cousins 
