There is a brief, glorious stretch of late summer when tomatoes are properly tomatoey, corn is sweet enough to eat almost straight from the cob, and basil threatens to take over the garden. These little savoury tarts make very good use of all three.
The filling is deliberately simple: sweet corn, ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and a tender egg-and-cream custard, with enough Gruyère to give it depth without overwhelming the vegetables.
But the pastry may steal the show.
Made with plenty of butter and aged Cheddar, it is crisp, flaky and deeply savoury—the sort of pastry whose scraps mysteriously disappear from the baking tray before anyone else gets near them. Rolled fairly thin and blind-baked before filling, it provides a sturdy, beautifully browned shell for the soft custard and juicy tomatoes.
Serve the tarts warm or at room temperature for lunch with a green salad, tuck them into a late-summer buffet, or make them for a leisurely weekend brunch. They’re substantial enough to stand on their own and pretty enough to bring straight to the table.
And if yours emerge from their tins looking just a little rustic around the edges? All the better. These are meant to look as though someone actually made them.
Tomato, Corn & Basil Tarts with Cheddar Pastry
These summery little tarts combine sweet corn and cherry tomatoes with a delicate Gruyère custard, all enclosed in an exceptionally tender Cheddar pastry. The pastry is rich, crisp and beautifully forgiving: although it shatters readily once baked, the unbaked dough can be patched and pressed together with ease.
- Yield: Makes four 4” deep tarts. 1x
Ingredients
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 5 ml or 1 tsp milk
For the Cheddar Pastry
- 200 g or 1⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1.5 ml or ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 170 g or ¾ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
- 80 g or ¾ cup finely grated extra-sharp white Cheddar
- 45 ml or 3 tbsp cold water
For the Filling
- 150 ml or ½ cup plus 2 tbsp 2% milk
- 150 ml or ½ cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ml or a scant ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2.5 ml or ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ml or ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 60 g or a generous ½ cup grated Gruyère
- 16 g or 2½ tbsp finely grated Parmesan
For Assembly
- 20 g or 4 tsp basil pesto
- 100 g or about ⅔ cup fresh corn kernels
- 100 g or about ⅔ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Egg Wash
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Set aside.
Make the Cheddar Pastry
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt several times to combine.
- Add the cold butter and pulse four to six times, until the butter is coated with flour but remains in visible pieces. Add the grated Cheddar and pulse several more times to distribute it evenly.
- Add the cold water, 15ml or 1 tbsp at a time, pulsing three or four times after each addition. Once all the water has been added, continue pulsing in short bursts until the dough begins to clump together. This may take 20 to 30 pulses—or even a few more. Be patient and resist the temptation to add additional water; the dough will come together once the flour is fully hydrated.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Cup your hands around it and gently bring it together into a ball. Flatten it into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Form the Tart Shells
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 175°C or 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly butter four 4” loose-bottom deep tart or pork pie tins. (The Pastry tends to stick to 4” spring form pans).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle approximately 12” x 13”, and 3mm or ⅛” thick.
- Using the removable bases of the tins as guides, cut four rounds of pastry against one of the 13” edges. Place one round in the bottom of each tin, pressing it gently into the edges. Brush a little egg wash around the perimeter of each pastry base.
- Cut four strips of dough long enough to fit around the inside circumference of the tins and slightly wider than the desired height of the finished shells (about 2” wide and 13” long). Line the sides of each tin with a strip, overlapping the ends very slightly.
- Press the pastry gently against the sides of the tins. Run a fingertip around the bottom seam to join the side strips securely to the bases. Patch any cracks or thin areas with pastry scraps, then trim the upper edges neatly.
- Place the lined tins on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, until firm.
Blind Bake the Tart Shells
- Crumple four pieces of parchment paper, then smooth them out and use them to line the chilled pastry shells. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the upper edges are beginning to colour.
- Carefully remove the parchment and weights. Return the shells to the oven for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the pastry is lightly golden and feels dry to the touch.
- Set aside to cool slightly. Leave the oven at 175°C or 350°F.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, egg yolk, cayenne, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in the Gruyère and Parmesan.
Assemble the Tarts
- Spread 5g or 1 tsp pesto over the base of each tart shell.
- Reserve a small amount of the corn and several attractive tomato halves for the tops. Divide the remaining corn and tomatoes evenly among the shells.
- Carefully pour the custard mixture over the vegetables, stopping just below the upper edge of the pastry. Arrange the reserved tomatoes, cut sides up, over the filling and scatter the reserved corn around them.
- Depending upon the precise depth of the tins, there may be a spoonful or two of custard left over. It can be baked separately in a small buttered ramekin—the cook’s dividend.
Bake the Tarts
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the custard is softly puffed and set at the centre and the pastry is deeply golden. A slender knife inserted near the centre should emerge clean.Allow the tarts to cool in their tins for 15 to 20 minutes before carefully unmoulding them.
- Garnish with torn basil leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Make Ahead
The blind-baked Cheddar pastry shells can be prepared one or two days in advance. Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Any leftover pastry can be rolled, cut into small shapes and baked until golden. A little egg wash and a scattering of Parmesan or flaky salt would not go amiss.
Adapted from Small Pies, Big Flavor by Helen Nugent.
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