By Second week of August and the end of summer is technically a month away but at the daycare the end-of-summer energy is real because families are shifting back to school schedules, siblings are going back to elementary and middle school, and routines are readjusting. I love this time of year at work because it means new enrollments, which means new toddlers figuring out the room, and there is something I never tire of watching: a child who does not yet trust a place learning slowly, over days and weeks, that this place is safe.
I made a tomato galette this week, which is a dish I would not have known how to make two years ago and now feels like a simple, obvious thing. A rough free-form pastry, no pie dish required, filled with a thin layer of ricotta seasoned with lemon zest and fresh herbs, then layered with thick slices of the best tomatoes I could find, overlapping, with a good drizzle of olive oil and flaky salt. Fold the edges over loosely. Bake at 400 until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes have given up their juice and caramelized around the edges. I ate it for dinner three nights in a row and regretted nothing.
DeAnna came for dinner on Thursday and I made the tomato galette and the roasted cauliflower with tahini from last month and she ate everything and asked me to email her both recipes. We talked until ten o'clock about nothing in particular and everything that mattered. I texted Gloria afterward and said I had a friend over for dinner. Gloria replied good. That one word landed somewhere warm and stayed there.
The version I made for DeAnna that Thursday was the one I’d been quietly perfecting all August — tomatoes layered over cheese, edges folded in, the whole thing baked until the kitchen smelled like something worth staying for. If you’re ready to try it yourself, this Tomato Tart with Three Cheeses is the recipe I reach for: it has that same spirit of a dish that looks impressive but asks very little of you, which is exactly the kind of cooking I want on a weeknight when a friend is coming over and the conversation matters more than the effort.
Tomato Tart with Three Cheeses
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 sheet refrigerated pie crust (or homemade pastry dough, rolled to a rough 12-inch circle)
- 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (plus more for topping)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, torn
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2—3 medium ripe tomatoes (heirloom or beefsteak), sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the cheese base. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, lemon zest, thyme, basil, and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Prep the tomatoes. Lay the tomato slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Blot dry with another paper towel to remove excess moisture. This keeps the crust from going soggy.
- Assemble. Unroll the pastry dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cheese mixture over the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border around the edge. Layer the tomato slices over the cheese, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
- Fold the edges. Fold the border of the dough up and over the outer edge of the tomatoes, pleating as you go to create a rough, rustic rim. Press gently to hold.
- Egg wash & finish. Brush the folded crust with the beaten egg. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the tomatoes. Scatter a few extra thyme leaves over the top and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt.
- Bake. Bake for 32—38 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the tomatoes are caramelized and slightly collapsed at the edges. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
- Serve. Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers reheat well in a 350°F oven for 8—10 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 390mg