Pizza Like Tart

Two of the most popular cheeses in France are Camembert and Gruyere. If you combine them together in one dish, their chemistry is a lot like love. The addition of the plumpest, juiciest tomatoes ensures that this recipe is a match made in pastry heaven. So for your next wine and cheese party, consider making this super yummy and unbelievably easy to do tomato and cheese tart. The tart can be served by slicing it up into small and thin pieces. Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc will go spectacularly well with any of them. 

This cheese tart has a lovely color and form. It is eaten with a piece of bread or baguette, or would be wonderful with fruits and nuts, or served as first course to a French or Italian meal. You can also serve this as cocktail party hors d'oeuvres. This tart is best enjoyed warm, but it will still taste scrumptious even at room temperature. It can also be served as an indulgent side dish to fish, chicken, or salad. See how versatile a savory cheese tart can be. 

The soft and rich Camembert cheese becomes pungent and potent with age, while Gruyere is hard and a bit more aggressive. Further, it is nutty, and earthy, at times it is slightly sweet. Both cheeses are made from cow’s milk, and are lusciously creamy and make a mouthwatering tart. The former comes from Normandy. It is named after the French village Camembert, while the latter originates from Switzerland. It is named after the Gruyere valley of Fribourg. 

The tangy and sweet tomatoes and crispy golden crust very well complement the oozing warm cheeses. While it is being gently cooked in the oven, the aroma is absolutely gorgeous. The herbs such as parsley, rosemary, basil, and thyme which are added to the recipe make it even more aromatic and not to mention more flavorful. There is no need to season this dish with salt as both Camembert and Gruyere are mildly salty cheeses. 

When the Camembert used is labeled with an Appellation d’Originine Contrôlée au Lait Cru, it is guaranteed that it is made in Normandy in the traditional way using unpasteurized milk. It goes the same for Gruyere, the best of course, is Swiss made. Both cheeses are rich and earthy, so they will stand up well to tannic red such as Red Bordeaux wine or Beaujolais. 

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard 

1/2 cup(s) grated Gruyère cheese 

4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices and seeds removed 

6 ounce(s) Camembert cheese, sliced into 1/8-inch strips 

1/2 cup(s) extra-virgin olive oil 

1/4 cup(s) fresh parsley, chopped 

1/4 cup(s) fresh basil, chopped 

1 teaspoon(s) fresh rosemary, finely chopped 

1 tablespoon(s) fresh thyme leaves 

1 small bay leaf, finely crumbled 

1 clove(s) garlic, minced 

1. To begin make the tart dough. In a pastry blender, combine and mix the flour, butter, salt, and pepper until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the oil and the water using a fork, just until the bottom of the mixture begins to cling together. Add an additional tablespoon of oil if necessary. After gathering it into a ball, flatten into a disk, then wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out the chilled dough into a 14-inch circle and place it into a tart pan; set aside. Spread the mustard over the bottom of the tart shell. Now sprinkle the Gruyère evenly over the mustard while alternately placing a layer of the tomato and a layer of the Camembert over the Gruyère. 

3. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, all of the herbs, and the garlic together in a small bowl, and brush two-thirds of the mixture over the tart. Bake for 35 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. Remove the tart and brush it with the remaining oil. Serve warm.