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The first time I made this was during a cold wet February a few years ago. Knowing that tomatoes from the grocery store in February are notoriously tasteless, I was skeptical—but I was out of time and ideas and needed something vegetarian for a party. I crossed my fingers and tried it out. To my relief and surprise the tart was gone before I had a chance to taste it, and someone asked for the recipe the following day. I now make this tart a couple times a year, especially in the summer when the tomatoes are in season. You can use any tomatoes you have on hand, but a couple of different colors makes for a pretty tart. Don’t use cherry tomatoes, though, because they have a higher water content.

This recipe is adapted from Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow. It is one of two books she has written about pie. The other one is called When Pies Fly. They are both excellent, filled with lots of ideas for slab pies and handmade hand pies along with many different crusts both sweet and savory.

There are lots of tomato tart/pie recipes out there, but what makes this one better is that it includes a cheddar cheese crust and skips extra steps like roasting the tomatoes, or pre-baking the crust. I have substituted thinly sliced shallots or red onions for the scallions or added mushrooms or substituted feta for the cheddar. You can also add sliced ham or precooked pancetta or bacon. The real surprise ingredient that gives this tart the surprise tang is mayonnaise, but don’t tell my husband…or our daughter—let’s just keep that between you and me.

Finally, one more thing about mayonnaise if you have only used mayonnaise for potato salad and sandwiches: it is a very useful ingredient to have around. It is especially good dabbed on the top of a piece of uncooked fish before you broil it—this keeps it from drying out

Serves: 6-8

Adapted from Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups all -purpose flour

• ½ cup pastry flour

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 12 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes (1 ½ sticks)

• 1 oz. (about ¼ cup) cup of sharp cheddar cheese grated

• ½ cup cold water

Filling:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise

• 1 lb. tomatoes sliced thinly (not cherry tomatoes—see above)

• 2 scallions sliced

• ½ heaping cup of sharp cheddar grated

  Egg Wash:

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon of water

• Flaky salt for sprinkling on the crust

Instructions:

In a large bowl add both flours and the sea salt. Whisk to combine. Add the butter. Mash the cubes of butter with your finger, distributing it throughout the flour. Add the cheese and toss to combine. Now add the water a bit at a time until the dough starts to come together. Mold into two disks of approximate equal size, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°

Roll out one of the chilled disks on a lightly floured surface into a 13” circle. Place it in an 11” tart pan with a removeable bottom. Trim the edges, leaving 1/2 “hanging over the edge.

Put the pan in the fridge while working on the top crust.

Roll the top crust into a 12”x9” rectangle. Put it on a baking sheet and put back into fridge. Now take out the tart pan.

Spread the mayonnaise over the entire bottom of the tart. Place the tomatoes over the top of the mayonnaise in a single layer, cutting the last few bits of tomato to fit in the leftover spaces.

Sprinkle with the cheese and the scallions. Now take out the top crust and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, cut 10-12 long strips of dough, 12” long, 1/3” wide. To make the lattice crust, start across the middle of the tart; place a piece of dough, twisting it while you lay it across the pie. Work quickly so that the dough doesn’t get too soft. Cover with 5-6 slices and then turn the tart pan 90 degrees and repeat. Crimp the edges and then brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Malden salt. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Best eaten at room temperature.