roasted tomato & scallion tart with a whole wheat cheese crust

It's tomato season, or 'mater season as it were, and summer is bearing down on us with apocalyptic might. I find myself daily brewing iced tea with new found diligence, but being a cold natured thing (and arguably a masochist), I actually rather enjoy the heat. It's thick, substantial. Heat slows us down, forces us to rest, to retreat. It reminds me of New Orleans' summers draped in weeping Spanish moss, of channelling Blanche DuBois à la Vivien Leigh in A Street Car Named Desire, and of watching Jim Jarmusch films in a dilapidated mansion on Magazine Street when I was twenty years old wearing nothing but high heels, lingerie, and red lipstick with a nameless three-legged cat, drinking gin until I couldn't speak. Suffering is very authentically southern after all. Summers every where are hotter than ever, but my internal climate is milder now. The only thing I sip these long afternoons is hibiscus iced tea, but I still feel like a green eyed Vivien Leigh when I stretch out in the sun on the front porch in nothing but a slip, brushing the little black ants off my legs as lazy beads of perspiration roll down both my glass of tea and my forehead or when, in the muggy evenings, I sit at our dining room table eating a midnight snack of cornbread in a tall glass of buttermilk with a spoon, windows open to the strobing fireflies & the chorus of crickets. It may be painfully hot, but this sweltering season is also, in my opinion, painfully short. 

Each time I go to the market, I try to buy up a pint of sweet Sun Golds before they rapidly disappear from the vendors' tables to eat on the way home like grapes. These ephemeral fruits are precious. There is no substitute for a warm summer tomato, and when the season is over it's over. Canning will keep you well into the winter, but it's still not the same as biting into a fresh tomato. I don't think they should be tampered with much, and recipes that feature them prominently and simply do them the most justice. This is one such recipe. And the best part is almost every single ingredient is from right here in Chattanooga and can be procured at the various markets around town.

Sequatchie Cove Creamery "Cumberland" cheese

Roasted Cherry Tomato & Scallion Tart in a Whole Wheat Cumberland Cheese Crust

adapted from Not Without Salt

This tart is good warm, room temperature, or cold and would make excellent picnic fare for the upcoming Fourth of July. The crust tastes like an excellent cheese cracker, and the tomatoes are intensely jammy. The whole thing is simple to make and involves little more than mixing cheese, flour, and butter; patting it into a tart or pie pan, and filling it with fresh tomatoes. It bakes for slowly for an hour allowing the crust to get golden & crispy and the tomatoes caramelize.

Ingredients

For the cheese crust:
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 ounces melted butter
1 cup finely shredded Cumberland cheese or cheese of your choice
1/2 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt


For the filling:
1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups), halved
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

{notes on ingredients: I used Ariel's whole wheat pastry flour from the Sunday Market, but Sonrisa, sometimes at the Wednesday market, also have a nice whole wheat flour. The butter is procured from the Brainerd Market on Saturday at Grace Episcopal Church, and Cumberland cheese is made by the Sequatchie Cove Creamery and is available at Whole Foods & the Wednesday Main St. Farmer's Market. Tomatoes, scallions, honey, and thyme can be procured at pretty much any market in town.}

Heat oven to 350° F.

Toss all fillings for ingredient in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Cut melted butter into the flour in a medium bowl with fingers. Stir in cheese, thyme, and salt, mixing well to ensure there are no clumps. Pat crust thinly into a 9" tart pan.

Top with tomato scallion mixture and bake for 1 hour or until crust is deep golden.

Let tart cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, 20 if you want to serve it room temperature. Remove slices carefully, as crust is very tender and deliciously crumbly. Best served with a lightly dressed green salad followed by a blueberry, basil, goat cheese hand pie (recipe up next!) and a tall glass of iced tea!