Rustic Tomato-Basil Tart

This homemade tart is about as fresh as it gets - fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and oregano, and fresh pureed corn kernels as part of the crust!

You'll want 1 and 1/2 pounds yellow tomatoes and 1 and 1/2 pounds red tomatoes for this recipe - buy medium-sized ones rather than large, so your slices aren't too big around. Cut all of the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and let stand for 20 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup fresh corn kernels in a food processor with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons vegan sour cream (such as Tofutti's Better Than Sour Cream); puree until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut 1/4 cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) into small pieces, then cut the 'butter' into the flour mixture using either a pastry blender or - my preferred method - your fingers, until the mixture is like coarse meal. Add the pureed corn mixture and stir until you have a soft dough. Turn out onto a work surface and knead gently about 3 or 4 times.

Place 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap on the work surface (which should be slightly damp). You want the plastic sheets to be about 16-inches square. Pat the dough into a 6-inch circle on the plastic wrap, then cover with two more 16-inch sheets of plastic wrap. Through the plastic, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 14-inch circle. Place on a baking sheet and freeze, still covered, for 10 minutes.

While the dough is in the freezer, combine 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil, 1/3 cup shredded vegan cheese in place of fontina (I used the vegan mozzarella from Vegan Gourmet), and 1 tablespoon chopped oregano.

In another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/2 tsp. salt; set aside.

Remove the dough from the freezer. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cornmeal (I forgot the cornmeal here, but luckily that was a minor mistake!). Remove the plastic wrap from one side of the dough, and place, plastic-wrap-side-up, on the parchment paper; remove the final sheets of plastic wrap from the top of the dough.

Sprinkle the basil mixture over the crust, leaving about a 1-and-a-half inch border. Through a sifter or sieve, sift half of the flour/salt mixture over the basil mixture. Arrange half the tomato slices on the tart, then sift on the rest of the flour mixture, and top with the rest of the tomato slices. (Note: the tomatoes will be piled high now, but once they are done baking in the oven they become dried and smaller).

Fold the crust up to tuck in the tomatoes around the edges. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, then let stand for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup more sliced basil, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and cut into 6 wedges. Each wedge is 320 calories.


Cost:
yellow tomatoes $4.81
red tomatoes $4.01
fresh corn $0.80
basil $2.99
vegan cheese $4.39
fresh oregano $2.49