Tomato Blue Cheese Tart

I have an affinity for entertaining.  Often times I plan an event to satisfy an urge to cook something that has been lingering in my head. Other times I simply feel like seeing friends; The tomato tart night was one of those nights.

Autumn was just starting to make itself known, and every time that happens I start to feel anxious about getting my tomato fix. It happened last year, too.  It was mid-September when I made the tomato corn pie.  Bless California for being close and providing our tomatoes for the winter, but there is something special up here in the Pacific Northwest about having access to local tomatoes for a small window of time.

This tart turned out infectiously lovely.  Pair it with a big green salad and you will have a simple, yet elegant dinner.  I can tell you that my friends were happy to have the invite that evening, and I think yours will too.

One final thought:  Please do not let the tart dough deter you; I have had ongoing talks with friends about the ease of making pie/tart dough.  Some people are into it, and some are not.  So please, if you are not one of those people feel free to purchase the crust of your choice and bake on!:)

Tomato Blue Cheese Tart
Crust:
1 stick butter, cubed
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 oz ice-cold water, give or take


Combine the flour, salt, and sugar with the butter, moving the mixture between your thumbs and 
fingers. Do this at an efficient pace, and work until the butter is uniformly combined; You are looking for a pea-like consistency.
Form a well and add half of the water. Using a fork, combine the flour and liquid, with as little actual 
contact as possible; Add water as needed. There may be some stray flour, in which case avoid adding more water; Instead try and pat the dry dough into the moist.
Form into a disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Filling:
2 egg yolks
3 oz heavy cream
3 tbsp fresh herbs
1/4 # blue cheese (I used a yummy Wisconsin Gorgonzola from my local cheese shop)
1 # roma tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch


Preheat the oven to 425. Roll out the tart crust and place into a 12 inch pan. Shingle the tomatoes 
into the crust. Wisk the yolks and cream and add the herbs. Pour the custard onto the tomatoes and 
crumble the cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, checking at the midway point.