And we're off!
This is the first week of the Steemit IronChef competition, conceptualized and hosted by the innovative and culinary star, @progressivechef. If you haven't already, check out @steemit-ironchef for information about this really cool, multi-week contest that will exercise your creativity in the kitchen!
For this week's theme TOMATOES, I have made a tomato tart using a combination of home grown and rescued tomatoes.
I have incorporated as much flavor as possible in every step of making this tart.
It starts with Phyllo dough. When working with phyllo dough, each layer of the pastry is brushed with butter to create a crispy flaky crust. I infused the clarified butter with garden herbs and garlic. This way, each layer of the pastry, or crust, is a flavor foundation for this tomato tart.
On the phyllo dough, I spread mascarpone cheese (think a mix between ricotta and cream cheese) with fresh garden herbs streaming throughout. I finely chopped thyme, basil, oregano, and rosemary and incorporated them into the mascarpone before spreading it onto the garlic and herb infused phyllo.
Next, I layered caramelized onions and garlic onto the mascarpone layer. Toward the end of sauteeing the onions I added a splash of balsamic vinegar to sweeten them up and add additional depth of flavor.
Now for the star of the show, the tomatoes! I sliced tomatoes on the thicker side (about 1/3 to 1/2 of an inch) so that they were a substantial centerpiece of the tart. I included orange cherry tomatoes, beefsteak, roma, and yellow tomatoes on the tart, which were either grown in my garden or rescued from a terrible fate.
The tart baked for about 25 minutes at 400°F.
While the tart was baking, I made the balsamic reduction. I heated balsamic vinegar until it had reduced to about 1/4 of the original volume, then added a few tablespoons of brown sugar and finished until it had a syrup consistency.
Once the tart was out of the oven, I sprinkled the top with more freshly chopped garden herbs and drizzled balsamic glaze over the entire thing.
The mascarpone nearly melts into the phyllo, and the tomato flavor is front and center, accented by the sweetness of the balsamic glaze and aroma of caramelized onions and herbs. The garlic and herb infused butter between the phyllo layers is not overpowering, but a subtle addition of flavor that ties the whole dish together.
I will definitely be making this again, and I've got my eye on some green tomatoes sitting in my kitchen, just waiting until they are ripe!
I hope you've enjoyed this recipe, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
If you're interested in being a part of the Steemit IronChef Competition, don't forget to check out the details at @steemit-ironchef. A huge thanks to @progressivechef for coming up with this awesome way to showcase our food creations and build community with each other here on Steemit. Looking forward to continuing this competition!!
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please do check out my blog.
All content and images by @jaymorebeet, taken on September 4, 2017 with a Canon 7D Mark II.