Tomato and almond tart

During the summer months we sell veggie tarts and pies with a salad bar along side at markets. I'm always on the look out for different recipes and ideas and find Yotam Ottolenghi to be a great inspiration!

He has a recipe in his book Plenty More for Tomato and almond tart which is his savoury version of the French fruit and frangipane tart. 

From the first time it made it's appearance at a Farmers Market it has become a firm favourite with customers.

I have adapted the recipe slightly using cream cheese instead of butter, basil in place of thyme and substituting our cows milk feta for the ricotta and parmesan. 

If you prefer use anchovies or whole blanched almonds instead of olives.

Tomato and almond tart

Serves 6 - 8

140g cream cheese
2 eggs beaten
65g fresh breadcrumbs
80g ground almonds
2 garlic cloves crushed
120g feta crumbled
handful of basil leaves
pack of ready rolled all-butter puff pastry (Jus - rol is my preference)
1kg medium tomatoes (about 10) cut sideways into 1cm slices (3 slices per tomato)
18 black wrinkly olives pitted
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 240C/220C Fab/ Gas Mark 9

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Unroll the pastry and place on the lined baking sheet. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score a smaller square 1cm inside the edge to make a frame, but don't cut right through.

Chill in the fridge whilst making the topping.

Beat the cream cheese using an electric mixer. A hand held one is fine.  Add the eggs slowly with the machine running. Stop the machine, add the breadcrumbs, almonds and garlic and mix until everything is combined.

Fold in the crumbled feta.

Use a palette knife to spread the almond mixture over the pastry and up to the scored lines. Evenly scatter the basil leaves over it. Lay the tomato slices on top in 3 long rows, with a fair amount of overlap in the rows. Sprinkle over the olives. Drizzle the tomatoes with half the olive oil and and season with salt and a good grind of black pepper.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. If you have a particularly fierce oven you may need to reduce the temperature to 200C/180C Fan/ Gas Mark 6 after 15 minutes.

Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.