This dish is a great simple summer choice using small sized heirloom tomatoes and either homemade or store bought Puff Pastry. The dish was inspired by the Recipe for Tomato and Parmesan Tart from Gordon Ramsey in his book A Chef for all Seasons using similar ingredients. In the recipe though the tomatoes are first oven roasted to concentrate their flavor.
Service for 4
4 pastry rounds 5 " in diameter
4 heirloom tomatoes
1/8 pound fresh parmesan cheese shaved thin 1/8 slices
1/2 pound wild arugula
2 T. balsamic vinaigrette
1 sprig fresh thyme (leaves removed)
salt and pepper
To Roast the tomatoes:
Slice the tomatoes 1/4" thin and lie them on parchment paper set on a baking sheet. Lightly salt the tomatoes. Sprinkle a dash of sugar onto each tomato piece. Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes at 375F allowing the tomatoes to loose some liquid and concentrate flavors. To roasst whole tomatoes see: How to Roast Tomatoes.
For the Puff Pastry
Cut out 4 rounds each approximately 5" in diameter. Bake on parchment paper for 10 minutes at 400F. Then lay a piece of parchment paper on top the the pastries and set another baking sheet on top to keep the pastry flat. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Preparation and Assembly:
Arrange the tomatoes on a piece of parchment paper shaped in a circle the same size as the pastry dough. Brush with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle some of the fresh thyme leaves on the tomatoes. Top with thin slice of parmesan and bake till in the oven to set.
Using a large fish spatula, carefully scoop up and place the tomatoes on top the puff pastry. You should also be able to slide it off the parchment .
Put the assembled dish under the broiler to brown the cheese.
Set some wild fresh arugula and a few slivers of parmesan cheese on top of the pizza and serve
