sweet miscellany

A round of simple pie dough is baked until golden then topped with a basil and cashew pesto, thick slices of tomato, and mozzarella cheese. This vegetarian recipe is perfect for enjoying juicy summer tomatoes and can easily be made vegan and gluten free with simple substitutions!

Is there anything more quintessentially summer than the pairing of tomatoes and basil?! I always make sure to have both of these growing in my spring/summer garden because I love eating them as the temperatures rise. I especially love enjoying them together with little or no cooking involved so that their flavors aren’t muted or mellowed. And let’s be honest, the less I need to turn on my oven or stove during the summer, the better!

When a couple of my larger slicing tomatoes were ready for harvest last week, I knew I wanted to use them in a tart. These tomatoes are an heirloom variety named “Paul Robeson” and they have reddish brown flesh with streaks on green on their shoulders. Since these tomatoes are so striking, I wanted to keep them raw in the tart while also keeping the entire dish as easy as possible. The resulting recipe is a round of pie dough that is baked until golden, then topped with a cashew and basil pesto, slices of mozzarella, and finished with flaky sea salt and extra basil leaves. It’s simple, packed with flavor, and the perfect way to celebrate juicy summer tomatoes.

Tomato Season and Storage Tips

Here in Houston, we’re already coming to the end of tomato season! Since we’re in growing zone 9a, the first tomato harvest is usually around late April/early May. The season goes until it gets too hot for the plants to continue flowering/fruiting, usually in late June/early July. Tomatoes prefer warm temperatures that aren’t too hot, or too cold. Once high temperatures are regularly above about 85 degrees, flower/fruit productions slows and eventually halts. Since it’s 100+ degrees here, tomatoes won’t be around for too much longer!

Whether you’re growing and harvesting your own tomatoes or getting them from your local farmers market or store, make sure to store your tomatoes at room temperature! Cold storage triggers an enzyme in tomatoes that causes their cell membranes to break down which leads to a mushy texture. It also dulls their sweetness making them taste not so great! So, make sure to store them on your counter at room temperature. For larger tomatoes, I keep them in a single layer with their shoulders/stem end down because it helps prevent bruising as they ripen.

How to Make this Tomato Tart

The base of the tart is a baked round of pie dough. You’ll mix together all-purpose flour (or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour) with a bit of sugar and salt. Then, you’ll use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix in chunks of cold vegan butter. Once the butter has broken down into pieces smaller than a pea and the mixture looks crumbly, you’ll start to add your ice water. The water will add just enough to moisture to bring the dough together. Pat the dough into a round disc, then cover it and allow it to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps to hydrate the flour and chill the butter back down.

While the dough chills, you can get all of your other components together and pre-heat the oven. The pesto is made up of toasted cashews, salt, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, basil, lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, and olive oil. You can make it in either a food processor or a blender. The tomatoes will get cut into nice, thick slices then you’ll do the same with the mozzarella.

After 30 minutes, you’ll remove the dough from the fridge, lightly flour your work surface, and roll it into a round that is roughly 8 inches in diameter. Place the round on a lined baking sheet and bake it in your preheated oven until golden. Allow the baked crust to cool completely.

To finish the recipe, spread a generous amount of the basil pesto on the baked and cooled crust, then layer the tomato slices and mozzarella on top. Garnish with flaky sea salt and basil leaves then serve!

Notes on Substitutions

• You can easily make this tart vegan by using a vegan mozzarella such as the one by Miyoko’s. Or, you can use your favorite vegan cheese.
• This tart can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten free 1:1 baking flour mix. This one from Bob’s Red Mill is my go-to!
• I used lemon basil here because I have an abundance of it in my garden, but you can use a standard sweet basil, too. Or, if you have both, try using half and half!
• Don’t have cashews? Try using toasted sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or almonds in their place.
• You can use pretty much any tomato variety you like here! Larger slicing varieties will stay put easier when you cut into the tart.

More Recipes to Enjoy this Tomato Season

• Cheesy Grits with Stewed Tomatoes and Okra
• Herbed Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes and Macadamia Ricotta
• Summer Picnic Salad
• My Favorite Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Summer Tomato Salad with Balsamic Pickled Onions
• Roasted Tomato Leek Sauce

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