This summer tart makes the most of fresh-from-the garden tomatoes and a flavoursome pastry that can be used for any quick lunch tart or pie. A simple tart filling like this relies on beautifully flavoured tomatoes, so choose deep red, vine-ripened fruit. Olive oil replaces butter in this pastry and while it looks more rustic than standard pastry, it has a good texture that complements the bold, juicy, sweet tomato flavour of this upside-down tart. It's dairy and egg free, vegan too.
Ingredients
| 12 | Vine-ripened tomatoes (Main) |
| ¾ cup | Flour, plus extra for dusting |
| ½ cup | Wholemeal flour |
| ¼ tsp | Salt |
| 2 cloves | Garlic, crushed |
| ¼ cup | Olive oil |
| ¼ cup | Water, boiling, filtered |
| 1 to grease | Olive oil |
| ½ cup | Black olives, cut in half and pitted |
| 1 Tbsp | Fresh oregano |
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200C. Cut tomatoes in half and place, cut-side down, on several layers of paper towels. Leave to drain for 10 minutes.
- To make the pastry, place the flours and salt in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the garlic to the well.
- Pour the oil and hot water into the well. Mix together with a wooden spoon just until the mixture forms a ball of dough.
- Turn dough out on to a work surface dusted with flour and knead briefly until smooth.
- As this is a hot-water pastry it does not need to rest. Roll out pastry so it's 3mm thick and 26cm round. Prick the base all over with a fork.
- Lightly oil the base of a 24cm frying pan with an ovenproof handle and scatter with olives.
- Arrange tomatoes on top, cut-side down, packing them in firmly to fill the pan.
- Place pastry on top of tomatoes, tucking in the edges to fit neatly. The slight excess of pastry allows for shrinkage during cooking.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pastry is crisp and golden brown.
- Remove from oven and stand for 5 minutes, then invert the tart on to a serving board or plate.
- Season with salt and pepper and scatter with fresh oregano.
Chef's tip
Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamins A and C and contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, which studies show may help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. To absorb the benefits of lycopene, tomatoes need to be cooked with a touch of oil, as lycopene is fat-soluble. When buying tomatoes, choose the reddest fruit you can find, as the yellow and orange varieties lack lycopene. Never store tomatoes in the fridge, as this impairs their ripening ability, taste and texture.
