Simple, elegant and timeless, the French tomato tart is a summer classic for a reason. This typical Provençal dish requires no eggs or cream, making it a light and refreshing lunch or appetizer. Its sheer simplicity brings out the flavour of the fresh tomatoes.
When it's an extra hot summer, a quick and easy recipe is always welcome. This French tomato tart not only tastes good but it's a light and refreshing lunch when paired with a side salad. I make this frequently, especially when staying with the family in Provence, as it demands minimum effort - with more time left for la sieste or nap under an olive tree!
Easiest Tomato Tart with Puff Pastry
As the saying goes, "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." And when it comes to French cuisine, this couldn't be more true. Made with a ready made puff pastry crust, like this asparagus puff pastry tart, this is even easier to prepare.
If you can't find puff pastry, it's just as good made with ready-made pâte brisée or shortcrust pastry.
Savoury Tart with Fresh Tomatoes
For tomato tart recipes, I found my favourite one in Andrée Maureau's book, 'Recettes en Provence'. It was lovely to meet her at the Potager du roi in Versailles many years ago so she could sign my copy, given as a post-wedding present from my parents' local bookshop in Apt when the book was published in 1998.
This was the first recipe I made from it, since it was the simplest while finding my new French 'kitchen feet'!
What we love about this recipe is that there are no eggs or cream. This intensifies the flavour of juicy tomatoes, roasted on top of the tart. Choose the biggest, freshest tomatoes you can find in season, with tons of flavour (heirloom, beef, marmande).
Maureau doesn't even ask for any extra preparation steps - and yet it works!
Toujours réussie et toujours très bonne - always a success and always very good.
Andrée Maureau, 'Recettes en Provence'
How Much Mustard to Use in a Tomato Tart?
Although Maureau doesn't include any images or diagrams in her cookbook, everything is so beautifully handwritten. Each recipe looks like we're peaking into her own private kitchen notebook.
The one thing that surprised me, however, was her loose instructions for a whole "pot of mustard". It's more of a mustard tart! Frankly, it blew our noses out of joint since, even after it was cooked and less piquant, it still packed its punch! So I've cut back a bit on the Dijon - unless you like it extra powerful. Just add to your taste.
How to Make the Easiest French Tomato Tart
The most important element in this tart is the quality of your tomatoes. The best are when they're in season, bursting with flavour, like vine tomatoes. Best of all, is the Coeur de Boeuf, as they have the least amount of seeds.
Frankly, if your toms are so large like this one, you can make this tart with just one - like in my photos! Feeling arty? Mix up the colours with green (noir de crimée) and yellow ''pineapple' tomatoes.
As fresh tomatoes give out so much juice, discard the seeds so that there is no extra liquid that leaks into the pastry. They're sliced quite thinly, placed on top of the layers of mustard and grated cheese.
As long as the seeds are discarded, there shouldn't be any problem of them being too watery for this tart.
If you love keeping all their glorious juices, make this tomato and onion salad.
For more on varieties and recipes, see the Guide to tomatoes.
It couldn't be easier: press the pastry into a tart pan, prick with a fork, evenly spread over the Dijon mustard then top with the grated cheese then sliced (deseeded) tomatoes. Sprinkle over some Provençal herbs, like thyme or dried Herbes de Provence and a zig-zag with a little olive oil. For more, see the guide to fresh herbs.
Even better, add a few olives - either before baking or plopped on top before serving.
How to Serve
Serve the tomato tart warm from the oven with a simple green salad and a chilled rosé de Provence for a real taste of France's sunny south. For a Provençal buffet lunch, serve with a classic Niçoise salad - the flavours are great together.
Tomato Tart with Mustard
Equipment
- round tart pan 25cm/10 inch diameter
Ingredients
- 1 230-300g (8oz-10) roll of ready-made puff pastry
- 4-5 large ripe tomatoes preference with little seeds, so not too juicy
- 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 300 g (10½oz/ 1¼ cups) Emmental, Gruyère or comté cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or dried (herbes de Provence)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 5-10 olives (Niçoise, Nyons or green) optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/Gas 6).
- Roll out the puff pastry and press into a tart pan lined with parchment paper. Pierce the pastry with a fork and spread the mustard evenly all over the surface. Sprinkle over the grated cheese.
- Slice the tomatoes thinly and discard the seeds. Place in a single layer on top of the cheese layer and sprinkle with the herbs. Evenly sprinkle over a little fleur de sel salt (Celtic sea salt or Maldon flakes), a few turns of the pepper mill and dribble over the olive oil in a zig-zag.Add a few olives, if using, or add on top after baking.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
CC
What a simple, savory meal! Looks so easy, but I'm sure it tastes incredible, especially with the best summer tomatoes!
Jill Colonna
I do hope you try it. Yes, it looks incredibly simple but the ripest, juiciest tomatoes (without their juice) make this a treat!
David Scott Allen
This is almost identical to the one I make (from a recipe taught to me by my friend Muriel from Provence). The only difference is my use of herbes de Provence instead of thyme, and capers instead of olives. I must try the black olives!! Happy tomato season! (Oh, and I also use short crust -- the puff pastry here in the States is either terrible or way too expensive -- imagine about 15 Euros for a package!!)
Jill Colonna
Thanks David. I'm glad you like this tomato tart too; iIt will be similar as it's a Provençal classic - but like your friend's caper touch. I had no idea about the puff pastry in the USA - thanks for this feedback. It's a pity as in France and the UK, it's so easy to find in the supermarkets (I'm sure you've noticed when you're over and MUCH cheaper too). So shortcrust in the US is much cheaper, ready bought?
CC
Unfortunately, there is no shortcrust pastry to buy in supermarkets. You can buy a premade crust (I never have and never will, just from looking at the ingredients.) What David says holds true for most of the year, however, around November to January Trader Joe's carries an all butter puff pastry for about $4! I stock up, but I'm finding that it must be used by March or April. Just pulled out a box to make suasage rolls the other day and they were quite sad. 🙁
Jill Colonna
Wow - that's incredible for the USA; you'd think you'd be able to get any kind of wonderful ingredient. Good to know about Trader Joe's though, Christina. Thanks for sharing this for other readers in the US. Sounds like you need to stock up in winter and freeze the puff pastry there! Otherwise, come to Europe: it's so much easier...
David Scott Allen
I always make my own pastry. I even do the quick puff pastry on occasion. As Christina says, the store-bought pastry is is pretty awful. I make crust with my eyes closed -- so easy and I like the zen process. Christina -- if you read this, I also buy up TJ's puff at holiday time. (Seriously -- no berry tarts in the summer???) -- but I always remoive from their packaging and vacuum seal them and they actually last quite a long time -- even a couple of years! It is a bit of a fuss for many, bnut worth it for good puff pastry in the summer.
Jill Colonna
Thanks for sharing your experience of puff pastry in the USA, David. Are you talking about refrigerated or frozen? In France, if you want the best puff pastry, you can actually ask at your local boulangerie and order it. So next time you're over in Paris (I know it's soon!), you'll see how easy it is here. Also in the UK, lots of supermarkets stock good quality puff, both fridge and frozen.
David Scott Allen
Thanks, Jill -- I love knowing this. I will need to make something with puff pastry while I am there. (I cannot wait!) All the puff pastry here is frozen unless you make it yourself. It's a chore, unlike chortcrust pastry which is easy. Cant wait to see you!
Val Holt
After having read the recipe I thought I would have a go at making it. I did not imagine how delightful it would taste! It is now my go to recipe for a delicious lunch and also as a starter for dinner. Thank you so much your recipes are fabulous xxx.
Jill Colonna
So lovely to hear this, Val. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. Enjoy many more recipes this weekend!
June S
This tart looks so easy to make. I think even I could give this one a go.
Jill Colonna
Well I sincerely hope you try this, Mum! So happy you've popped in to le blog x