This simple tomato tart is made with only 4 ingredients: tomatoes, puff pastry, roasted garlic and fresh thyme.
“It’s not good enough.”
“You’re not good enough.”
“You’re going to fail.”
When I go through spells of depression, the negative self talk I experience is crippling. I become full of self doubt and am emotionally paralyzed to the point where it becomes impossible to get any real work done. I question all of my decisions and quickly become overwhelmed and foggy as I try to navigate through the creative process.
It feels as though I just lost six weeks of my life. They vanished (actually, they dragged on) and I have nothing to show for my days except for lackluster photos and half assed recipes that I can barely remember whether I liked or not. Normally this wouldn’t be a huge loss but I have a major deadline that’s quickly approaching. I’m not sure whether I’m dreading September’s arrival or desperate for it to finally come and go. I guess it’s a bit of both.
The good news is that I feel like I’m finally reaching the other side of a long, dark and cloudy tunnel. I’m starting to feel like myself again. I’m still testing the waters and getting my toes wet. And I have a lot of catching up to do.
For this recipe, I kept things very simple. It’s hard to go wrong with puff pastry, roasted garlic, and the first tomatoes of the season. I chose not to reinvent the wheel and stuck with a winning formula. It’s tasty.
Roasted Tomato Tart
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound tomatoes (approximately 4-5 medium, similar sized)
- 1 sheet puff pastry, chilled (leave in the refrigerator until needed)
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped finely
- kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off just the top of the garlic head so that a small amount of each clove shows through. Place the garlic in a small ramekin and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, just enough to cover the exposed cloves. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cover the ramekin with foil. Place the ramekin in the oven and roast the garlic for 40 minutes. Set aside to cool. Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into a bowl and mash with the back of a spoon to make a paste.
- Core the tomatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices, reserving the ends for another use. Lay the slices out on a cutting board close together in 3 rows to stage how the tart will look (I had 3 rows of 8).
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to approximately 10x14 inches. Place the puff pastry on the prepared sheet tray.
- Spread a thin layer of roasted garlic over the dough (there might not be enough to cover all of the dough, which is ok). Sprinkle the thyme evenly over the garlic (again, it will not cover the entire tart. The flavors will still infuse). Layer the tomato slices on top. If there is a lot of excess dough around the edges, use a pizza cutter, bench scraper or knife to cut it away, leaving only an inch of excess dough.
- Bake the tart for approximately 25 minutes, or until the edges are flaky and golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
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Olga @ MangoTomato says
This looks beautiful!
Hugs!
Olga @ MangoTomato says
This looks beautiful!
Hugs!
Olga @ MangoTomato says
This looks beautiful!
Hugs!
Jane Bonacci says
I can totally relate. Glad to hear the clouds are clearing and you’re on the way back up. Gorgeous tart! <3
Aviva Goldfarb says
Glad you’re feeling better, Jennifer, that was so brave of you to share. And the tart looks amazing.
Aviva Goldfarb says
Glad you’re feeling better, Jennifer, that was so brave of you to share. And the tart looks amazing.
Aviva Goldfarb says
Glad you’re feeling better, Jennifer, that was so brave of you to share. And the tart looks amazing.
Sherron @Simply Gourmet says
The tart is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your journey. You now I can totally relate. It always feels good to be on the other side. I can’t wait until we have lunch soon!
Sherron @Simply Gourmet says
The tart is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your journey. You now I can totally relate. It always feels good to be on the other side. I can’t wait until we have lunch soon!
Sherron @Simply Gourmet says
The tart is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your journey. You now I can totally relate. It always feels good to be on the other side. I can’t wait until we have lunch soon!
grandbabycakes says
First this is so stunning. Secondly, I am so glad you are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I also suffer from negative self-talk which I have to disable by constant positive affirmations because it can completely cripple you and throw you off course. We are just so hard on ourselves, way more than anyone else or any terrible review. We need to learn to give ourselves breaks and support and a pat on the back sometimes, and I’m pretty terrible at this so I can completely relate. Writing a book has a way of dragging out that vulnerability in the worst way.
Carolyn says
Aw hon. I am so sorry the past 6 weeks have been so tough. I struggle with anxiety issues and I have times where I just feel so jittery and worried. It’s not quite the same, but I get the general idea. You know I am always here for you.
Carolyn says
Aw hon. I am so sorry the past 6 weeks have been so tough. I struggle with anxiety issues and I have times where I just feel so jittery and worried. It’s not quite the same, but I get the general idea. You know I am always here for you.
Carolyn says
Aw hon. I am so sorry the past 6 weeks have been so tough. I struggle with anxiety issues and I have times where I just feel so jittery and worried. It’s not quite the same, but I get the general idea. You know I am always here for you.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
oooooooh this tart is gorgeous and looks 100% delicious!!! and I’m so glad that you’re starting to feel happier!