Why It Works
- This recipe is very flexible, and can work with a variety of crusts (puff pastry, pie crust, pâte brisée) and formats (tart pan, pie plate, free-form galette).
- Just a few key ingredients—ripe tomatoes, mustard, cheese, and pastry—combine for a summertime snack that is way more than the sum of its parts.
It’s easy to throw around superlatives when it comes to simple summer tomato dishes. Catch me at any moment and I might declare that panzanella is the best thing to make when peak-season tomatoes arrive. Five minutes later, I’ll change my tune: gazpacho. No—Spanish tuna and tomato salad. Or maybe a Greek salad? Oh, but then there’s the classic tomato sandwich on white bread with mayo.
Right now, though, my answer is France’s gorgeously spare tomato and mustard tart, which makes of its limited ingredient list far more than one could imagine. It’s all I want to make this summer with my farmers market tomatoes, except that I also want to make all the other things I just rattled off, and plenty more too. So take me at my word: This tart is the best simple summer tomato recipe. And so are all the others, too.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
At its core, the recipe is incredibly simple. A pastry crust of some sort is topped with a generous slathering of Dijon, then rounds of juicy red tomatoes and just enough salt to make them sing. That could be it, though many recipes add a thing here or there. Many include cheese, often grated Gruyère, as in this recipe, but I’ve seen some with rounds of fresh goat cheese placed on top. Some lend the tart a provençal touch with pitted black olives dotted among the tomatoes. Herbs are welcome: a dried sprinkling of herbes de Provence, as I call for here; picked fresh leaves of fragrant basil scattered on top after the tart comes out of the oven; or whatever else might strike your fancy.
While variations are potentially endless, I have a few notes on three specific points: the pastry, the mustard, and the salt. Everything else is easy enough to figure out on your own.
Pastry Options
One of the main selling points of this tart—outside of its outsized deliciousness—is how easy it is to make. But that overlooks the pastry question—many would argue that making any tart or pie dough from scratch isn’t easy, and I wouldn’t exactly argue (though, with a bit of practice, it’s hardly a chore). But you don’t need to make your pastry for this. One of the best approaches here is to keep some good-quality, all-butter, store-bought puff pastry in your freezer. Move it to the fridge to defrost, and you can have a tart ready in minutes.
If making your own pastry isn’t a turn-off, great. Pâte brisée, a savory tart crust, is perfect, but keep in mind that you’ll need a tart pan for it. I know, because—in a less intelligent moment—I tried using it for a free-form galette. It’s too short for any free-form anything: It crumbles, cracks, and melts into a blob when left to support itself without a pan.
If you want to go the galette route, you’re better off with a classic pie crust, which can be rolled out and folded onto itself to form a graceful border that cradles the filling. Or put a pie crust in a pie plate—really, do whatever you want. That’s exactly the kind of there-are-rules-to-constrain-my-flowing-freedom attitude, which feels exactly in the spirit of this effortless French country tart.
Mustard Matters
On paper, a layer of Dijon mustard might seem like flavor overkill—pungent, spicy, and sharp. Surely it’d overpower the tomatoes and make you wince with every bite. I promise you: It does not. It is perfect, in a way I can’t fully explain, except that it anchors the juicy, fruity tomatoes with a fragrant, earthy acidity.
Some recipes for this tart mix the mustard with crème fraîche to temper its intensity and add creaminess. I was sure I would want to do the same, so I made an equal-parts mix of the two and baked a tart with it. First, I have to tell you that an equal-parts mixture of Dijon and crème fraîche is perhaps one of the most delightful and easy condiments I’ve ever stirred together in a tiny bowl. I want to eat it on everything.
But, strangely, I didn’t think it made much difference. It was very tasty, but it wasn’t tastier than the mustard alone. I don’t think the tart needs it, and I don’t think you need to add the (very minor) effort of buying crème fraîche for this recipe. You can if you want, but I’d rather smear the Dijon-fraîche on just about anything else.
Salt
While developing this recipe, I had one other thought: Would it help to pre-salt the tomatoes and let them drain? I figured it’d help reduce wateriness and concentrate their flavor for a better tart.
In practice, the benefit was so minor, so nearly imperceptible, that I didn’t include it in the recipe, and I don’t think it’s necessary to wait an hour while the tomatoes drip and drain before making the tart. Again, you can if you want—it’s maybe slightly better—but I doubt anyone would notice unless tasting side-by-side, and even then, only if you told them.
But you know what? That’s the beauty of this tart. An effortless wave of the hand, a casual gesture in the kitchen, and this tart emerges as another breezy favorite among all the other easy-peasy tomato favorites for this summer and all the rest.
This Simple French Dish Is What Summer Tomatoes Are Made For
Cook Mode
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1 (14-ounce; 397 g) sheet puff pastry from 1 (17.3-ounce) package, such as Dufour, thawed if frozen; or 1 recipe Pâte Brisée; or 1/2 recipe Pie Dough
1/4 cup (60 g) Dijon mustard or an equal-parts mixture of Dijon with crème fraîche (see note)
1/4 cup packed grated Gruyere cheese (1 1/2 ounces; 43 g)
1 medium tomato (9 ounces; 255 g), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
Herbes de Provence, for sprinkling (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and set rack in middle position.
If Using Puff Pastry: On a lightly floured surface, gently roll out the puff pastry until it’s large enough to line an 8- or 9-inch tart pan or a standard 9-inch pie plate, roughly the size of an 10-inch round. Carefully transfer the mixture to a tart pan or pie plate, gently pushing it into the edges, and trim any excess overhang. Dock all over with a fork, then proceed to Step 2.
If Using Pâte Brisée: Follow this recipe through Step 7, then proceed to Step 2 here.
If Using Pie Dough: Follow this recipe through Step 3 (for single-crusted pies; note the recipe produces enough dough for 2 pies; feel free to reserve the extra portion for another use or a second tomato tart). Note, you can also use this style of dough for a free-form galette (see the basic technique, here shown with peaches).
Spread mustard all over base of tart, then sprinkle Gruyere all over.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Arrange tomatoes on top of mustard and cheese, then season all over with salt. Sprinkle lightly with herbes de Provence (if using) and drizzle with olive oil.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Bake until tomatoes are roasted and excess water has cooked off and pastry is browned and crisp all over, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then slice and serve.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez
Notes
The tart is delicious with plain Dijon. If you want, you can cut it with an equal-parts mixture of crème fraîche, which is also delicious, though by no means necessary.
Special Equipment
8-inch tart or pie plate, rolling pin
Make-Ahead and Storage
The pastry can be prepared all the way through lining the plates and kept refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 day before filling and baking. The tart is best assembled and baked shortly before serving, though it can be held at room temperature for up to 2 hours after baking; note that the longer it sits, or if you wrap it in plastic, the pastry may grow soggy from trapped humidity. Even so, the baked tart can be wrapped in plastic or transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days; re-crisp the pasty on an aluminum baking sheet in a hot oven before eating.
