While spring and summer gatherings might look a little different this year, the markets are loaded with the most beautiful, bright produce that can be enjoyed in the comfort of our own home.  Heirloom tomatoes are juicy, colorful, sweet and robust in flavor and can be made into an easy Heirloom Tomato Tart. .  Layering the flaky puff pastry crust with a thin spread of basil walnut pesto and juicy heirloom tomatoes makes a crazy good Mother's Day brunch appetizer!

How to make an Heirloom Tomato Tart  

Puff Pastry
Making your own puff pastry might make you feel like a hero, it is totally not necessary.  Frozen puff pastry already comes in the perfect sheets that just need to be thawed out, unrolled and you are ready for the base of your tart.

Basil Walnut Pesto
Basil Walnut Pesto is bringing all the flavor in this colorful Heirloom Tomato Tart.  Using walnuts, garlic, basil leaves, lemon zest, parmesan, olive oil and lemon juice will create a beautiful green color and a thick paste like texture.  I love the addition of lemon juice and zest in this recipe for a subtle pop of bright and fresh flavor. 

Heirloom Tomatoes
Colorful, odd shaped, large and small in size and super cool to look at, heirloom tomatoes are more than just their looks.  So what gives these tomatoes the title “heirloom”?  It’s the seed!  The seeds of the best tomatoes are saved from each season and farmers use these seeds to create the desired sweetness, size, texture and color they like.

Heirloom Tomato Tart

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Heirloom tomatoes are juicy, colorful, sweet and robust in flavor and can be made into an easy Heirloom Tomato Tart. .  Layering the flaky puff pastry crust with a thin spread of basil walnut pesto and juicy heirloom tomatoes makes a crazy good Mother's Day brunch appetizer! 

• Author: Kristen Massad

Ingredients

Heirloom Tomato Tart
1 sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
3 Tbsp Basil Walnut Pesto (recipe below)
4 Heirloom Tomatoes, Red, yellow, green and purple
1 Cup Mini Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced in half
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
Optional: Micro Greens and Basil Leaves for garnish 

Basil Walnut Pesto Ingredients
¼ Cup Walnuts
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Cups Fresh Basil Leaves
¼ Cup Parmesan
½ tsp Lemon Zest
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Lemon Juice
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper

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Instructions

Basil Walnut Pesto Directions 

In a the bowl of a large food processor combine the walnuts and garlic and process until finely chopped 

Add the basil leaves, parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until mixture is the consistency of a paste; approximately 1 minute

Remove the pesto from the food processor into a tightly sealed jar and store in the refrigerator for a later use or use immediately

 

Heirloom Tomato Tart Assembly 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper

Unfold the puff pastry sheet and shape into a tart pan or a free form 9x13 rectangle

Using a fork and prick the rectangle all over 

Spread the Basil Walnut Pesto to cover the puff pastry

Thinly slice the heirloom tomatoes and arrange them evenly over the pesto

If you are creating a free formed tart, fold a one inch border over the sliced tomatoes to create a border 

Egg wash* the puff pastry border and sprinkle parmesan over the border

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown

Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes 

Slice and sprinkle mini heirloom tomatoes over the top of the baked tomato tart

Optional: Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction and garnish with micro greens and fresh basil leaves

Transfer the Heirloom Tomato Tart to a cutting board and cut into individual pieces 

*Egg Wash
1 Egg

1 tsp Water 

Whisk together egg and water