I'm trying new recipes again. This is called Tomato Tart. It could just as easily be called Tomate sur Fromage. Why it needed a pie crust I will never know. Ah, well, one less crostata.
I was listening to a book on tape recently, and heard fruit "galette". Off went the Mp3 and I asked google. It came back with fruit gillette. It did not call me a dummy, as I do not know French. NYT will tell you all about it, especially if you own their paywall.
It is identical to the crostata recipe I cut and pasted from somewhere, when I had grandchildren here. Emily turned up her nose at making the recipe, so it languished until I had to cook, again. If you look it up, type "fruit" in front, as its last name is identical to men's razors.
My Tomato Tart is a pie crust made into a well, a bed of grated cheese, a layer of caramelized onions, a layer of cherry tomatoes, a quarter cup of milk with a lot of spices and an egg beat in. Baked at 450F, which is serious.
Caramelizing onions is a horrid, horrid job. I tried the recipe because it called for two cups of grated cheese. What better way to pass the time grating cheese than by caramelizing onions!
Some heavy duty cooling is in progress; I have not cut into my tart yet. It appears to be a layer of molten cheese, topped by hot tomatoes in a layer of custard. That pie crust is a nice brown, holding in the cheese, I suppose. The onions may have sunk; they are not floating in the custard.
I did my serious shopping earlier this week, when I complained about bringing it all in. I did not buy eggs. In fact 9 eggs went to the trash yesterday. They were that old.
Google said to test the validity of an egg, put it into a bowl of water. If it sinks, good. If it stands on one end at the bottom, OK. If it floats, Bad. I wanted to make waffles one day last week. I knew the carton of eggs in the fridge was old, old, old. I tried the test.
The first egg came straight to the top when I released it. I put it in the garbage and tried number two. Of the next ten eggs, all stood on end. I used one and put nine back in the carton. On trash day I threw them away.
I had no real need for eggs and did not buy a dozen when I shopped. Why can't I buy half a dozen eggs at a time! Then I came across this recipe, had tomatoes, no eggs. So, to the corner store for twelve eggs.
Well, off to test the tart. I'll tell you if it's a keeper. Here's a picture of one I tried recently. Creamy spinach chickpea spaghetti. I remembered to take a picture half way through and it still looked good. It was good, though I think you better like chickpeas.
I would love all those things you've cooked. I adore cheese, and eggs. Chick peas are yummy. I put them in my chili, along with three other kinds of beans and corn. It's getting to be chili weather! (not an intentional pun) I don't think I've ever caramelized onions. I do like them in things though!
ReplyDeletethe tomato tart sounds like just the thing i would love to bake for Dennis, diabetic, living on fats. It does look cheesy yummy.
ReplyDeletethat tomato tart looks and sounds yummy. haven't made another crostata lately. I think it's time. fried up some of the eggrolls in the freezer for lunch and they were good. I think my next foray into cooking will be enchiladas which I have never made. the cook here, not me, is a basic and plain cook. I don't complain but if I want something a little fancier now and then I have to fix it. I don't mind. I just don't do it often enough for the cook to think he's passing the job over to me.
ReplyDeleteWe don't use eggs often enough to buy them by the dozen either. What works for me is to use Hoosier Hill Farms granulated eggs. They keep keep for a long time (months) on the shelf. We keep the jar in the fridge because it gets so hot here and we don't have AC. I use them for omelettes and baking, including custards, frittatas, quiches, cakes, and cookies. Have not been disappointed yet. Your tomato tart and your pasta look delicious.
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know how to test eggs like that! I'm going to remember that. The tomato dish does look delicious though and it had to be yummy with all that cheese in it!
ReplyDeletebetty
The tomato tart sounds and looks good.
ReplyDeleteThis looks good, and I may have to try it. You got me started on crostatas, and I’ve made at least a dozen of them over the last several months. Sometimes the fruit leaks out all over the place, but it’s still good. My favorite is mostly apple with a handful of blueberries.
ReplyDeleteThe dish looks good but doesn’t sound goo to me. To each their own. I hope it was good for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat about a crustless quiche...when you have eggs.
ReplyDeleteI make those often, when the chickens and quail cooperate
DeleteI hope you let us know how it tastes when you do try it. The spaghetti looks good and I like chickpeas but I really prefer some sort of tomato sauce on spaghetti.
ReplyDeleteI admire your spirit of adventure in the kitchen. Neither of of like to cook, we eat a lot of the same thing. When we retired I was hoping the spousal unit might learn how to cook, but alas, alack, no.
ReplyDeleteI eat a lot of the same thing, too, until I get tired of the "rotation" and try something new. This one will be a keeper, for cherry tomatoes in summer.
DeleteThe tomato tart looks good, but I'll have to pass on the chickpea spaghetti. LOL Hugs to you...
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, just this morning I watched Cook's Country on PBS and they made a Tomato Tart. It was similar to yours but they didn't use egg and they did the crust the way you do it for fruit crostatas, folding it up over the edges of the tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI took your photos this afternoon, and now I will pass on the fromage and tomatoes to the new cook.
ReplyDeleteI usually skip the crust unless it is a pot pie when I like to include it. I make a lot of crustless quiche which can use up a lot of leftover veggies. Didn't know that about how to tell if an egg is bad. Good to know.
ReplyDeleteThe spinach chickpea spaghetti looks good, but I have to admit I've never eaten chickpeas so I don't know if I'd like them.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Your tomato tart looks interesting, but I'm hopeless at caramelising onions, I always burn them. I think if you combine the milk, eggs, cheese and onion, then layer the tomato on top, you'll have a quiche, it's so similar.
ReplyDeleteI've used eggs up to ten days past the use by date, but after a week I crack them into a bowl first, usually they're okay.
I hate chickpeas.
I made a blueberry crostata because of you! It was quite good. The recipe I found called for lemon zest and some lemon juice along with the blueberries and other ingredients. I might hold off on some of that lemon the next time. Don't get me wrong - we finished the whole thing in one sitting! And you're never going to guess what I made just last night - tomato pie because I was inspired by Mary Moon and her blog. Isn't it great how we inspire each other. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteBoth recipes look good. Very good. And I am a chickpea fan.
ReplyDeleteMy mother told the tale of stirring boiling eggs while she was at boarding school. A couple insisted on floating to the top. She pushed them down and ignored them. Several someones had an awful breakfast that day - though she never knew who got them.
The tomato dish looks good but I try to avoid eating pie crust unless I'm having pie at the holidays or once in awhile some kind of sweet pie. I do not mind carmelizing onions I just don't like peeling them first. Now that I don't wear contacts my eye sting badly. I prefer carmelizing onions to grating cheese.
ReplyDeletep.s. Do they not sell eggs by the half dozen where you live? Most grocers here will sell eggs by half dozen, a full dozen and sometimes 18 egg cartons.
ReplyDeleteThey both look delicious. Yum!
ReplyDeleteIt does look very quiche like, but delicious, tarts are solid carbohydrates and fill the empty space but also a bit fattening I think.
ReplyDeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteI adore chickpeas... and will be trying my own invention around your photograph. And maybe the tomato tart too!!! As for the half dozen - over here and in OZ, half dozen is the standard though dozens have become more readily available in recent years - and even 15s! The baking craze has something to do with that, methinks. YAM xx
I am not a chickpea fan but I do think we sometimes put far too many ingredients in our pasta - unlike the Italians who keep it simple. I intend to try broccoli pasta this week with the minimum of extra ingredients other than garlic of course.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can buy an egg from your neighbour when you need one. It is a little ridiculous that you have no option but to buy a dozen at the store.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I have taken to eating a lot of eggs since - and during - lockdown. They don't hang around long enough to warrant the test.
ReplyDeleteMy grocery store does sell half cartons of eggs. I was so glad when I saw them. Like you, it takes me to long to use 12 eggs.
ReplyDeleteMade “ your” crostata Thursday for sons fam. It was a hit! I stole the blueberries from my neighbor, stolen fruit is always sweeter.
ReplyDeleteI will try these two recipes as well! I am newly vegetarian ( since The Trump virus) and always looking for good recipes. We like chickpeas and I stupidly bought a big bag of dry ones.
J
When we find a cache of eggs we do the float test on them to see if they're good or not. If one turns up on end, I throw that one away too. But I do have a surfeit of egg riches.
ReplyDeleteYour tomato tart looks wonderful. A bit like my annual tomato pie.
Eggs use to come in a carton that is perforated in the middle for folks to buy a half dozen. In the local Shaws supermarket, I have seen half dozen cartons. Tomatoes, I learned the ouch way, can be super hotter than the stuff around them, like biting into boiling water. At present via another blog, I'm keen on exploring Marie Raymer's blog of recipes. Your tomato tart looks as good as the photos there. Maybe a recipe blog in your future?
ReplyDeleteYou can find 1/2 dozen cartons here occasionally. The tart sounds good. Be sure to let us know how it tastes. Sounds rather like a quiche without lots of eggs.
ReplyDeleteYes, crostatas and galettes are similar kinds of "rustic" pies, but crostatas use regular pie crust and galettes use puff pastry. That's my understanding of the difference. Both are delicious, though, and that's the important thing!
ReplyDeleteI grow too many tomato plants which, after giving away many and just eating plain, I have to find uses for till they are all gone (still picking). I have made quite a few tomato pies and tarts. They are all good, but some better than others. Your’s sounds wonderful. Would you mind telling me what recipe you used as I would like to try that one also. Despite the work in making caramelized onions, they really do add so much flavor. Puff pastry is a nice alternative to pie crust. Your pasta dish looks yummy and healthy.
ReplyDeleteI like tomato tarts... but don't make them much as the boys don't. Guess if I added in some sausage or pepperoni they might take to it. When I make pizza over here I put bacon, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni on their portions and spinach, garlic, onion, and tomato on mine.
ReplyDelete