This is all about the quality of your tomatoes. You want a biggish, beefsteak red tomato for the sauce and for slicing. Around August, Jez Taylor recommends Marmande, which are the rich, sweet, ribbed, bulbous-looking ones that have more flesh than seeds. Earlier in the year Stupice is one of our first tomatoes to ripen, and is a good, full-flavoured one to use for the sauce. Sweet, juicy Golden Cherry tomatoes are perfect for the finishing layer.
MAKES 6
INGREDIENTS
12 large, ripe red-vein tomatoes
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp chopped fresh red chilli the juice of ½ a lemon
1 good sprig thyme, leaves only 500g puff pastry
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
20 yellow vine cherry tomatoes
MAKES
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Chop six of the large tomatoes. Heat three tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium pan over a low heat, then add the onion, garlic and coriander and cumin seeds, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion softens, stirring constantly. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli, lemon juice and half the thyme leaves and continue to cook for five minutes.
Add 200ml of water and bring to the boil, then cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and all the juice has evaporated.
Taste and season as necessary. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3-4mm thick, and cut around a small plate or use a large cutter (about 12cm in diameter) to make six discs. Line a baking tray with a sheet of greaseproof paper, place the discs on top and put into the fridge to rest for 20 minutes (this will help stop the pastry shrinking in the oven).
When ready to cook, remove the pastry discs from the fridge and prick all over with a fork. Bake in the oven until light- golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
Slice the remaining red tomatoes thinly (about 3mm). Divide the cooked tomato mixture between the pastry discs, spreading it right to the edge. Arrange the slices of red tomato on top (about six slices to each). Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return the tarts to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the yellow cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size, put into a bowl, combine with the rest of the olive oil and the remaining thyme leaves and season.
Remove the tarts from the oven, spoon some of the yellow tomatoes and their juices on to each tart and serve.