Late-summer Bounty: Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart

Screw Christmas - right now is the most wonderful time of the year! Okay, that was a bit harsh, but I don't see how Christmas can even compete with the glory that is tomato season. Right now, just when you feel like the days should be cooling down but they're readily throwing their 90F temperatures in your face; when all you want to do is start wearing sweaters and roast things, but you can barely stand to cook it's so hot in your house? This is the best part of summer for me. Granted, summer is probably my least favorite season, even though many of my favorite vegetables and fruits are in season, and especially THIS part of summer, garden- and market-fresh tomatoes make it all worthwhile. I can stand the hotter-than-hot afternoons and evenings knowing that a wonderful meal is only a few juicy slices away. This is the time of year I yearn for my own vegetable garden so I could brave the heat only to come back to the kitchen with a basket full of goodies to whip up into a meal like this: Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart.

I'll readily admit that ricotta is my least favorite of all the cheeses. There's just something about the texture and flavor that I never really got on board with. Now, I have made my own ricotta (I did so a couple of years ago for my Ina Garten-themed birthday party, where all the food I made was from The Barefoot Contessa and I even dressed up as her, and one of the dips was a homemade herbed ricotta cheese - it's super easy to make) and it was slightly better; at least it was more milky/creamy than whatever store-bought ricotta tastes like. I figure with this dish I could easily overlook the ricotta for the almost 2 pounds of tomatoes, fresh herbs, prosciutto, and puff pastry. I've always been delighted with the recipes from Sunset magazine and this one is no different. The flavors came together to create this light, and deceptively filling, tart. The fresh juicy tomatoes, the lemony ricotta cheese, the splash of fresh herbs (I went ahead and used BOTH basil and mint for one of the most excellent flavor combinations I've recently encountered), the salty tang of prosciutto, all supported by the buttery crispy puff pastry made for a wonderful summer Sunday meal. While I did groan a bit at having to turn on my oven for this, I soon forgot the heat after I bit into this tart. This is the perfect meal to have for kicking back in your garden with a glass of wine. This is also a perfect appetizer or first-course for a garden dinner party, too! A great thing about this dish is that it's easily vegetarian-friendly. Simply eliminate the prosciutto and you've got a great appetizer (or meal) that'll please just about everyone.

Oh yeah and it made for the perfect individually packaged lunches!

A few things of note:

• Don't even try to adhere to the tart measurements in the recipe. The puff pastry I bought for this (Pepperidge Farms) is two square sheets. Honestly, once thawed and rolled out a bit, it's the perfect size for a party of 4 as meal (or 2 meals for 2 people). I tried piecing together trimmed bits and I was left with the trimmed bits coming apart in the baking process. So not worth the hassle!
• I used a full pound of ricotta cheese and I think it was a bit too much, but measuring out the 1-1/3C would've left me with too little cheese in the package to save. I think I'd go just with the half-pound next time. However, if you like ricotta use as much as you like!
• As I said above, I used both basil and mint, when the recipe called for either/or. I also didn't deal with trimming the "tiny" whole leaves and just chiffonaded both the basil and mint leaves. Believe me, having both makes for a much more complex and refreshing flavor! I also cut too much herbs, so I threw them in with the simple salad I served alongside the tart (mixed greens + arugula, tossed with olive oil and lemon juice).
• I also used a mix of large heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes (the cherry tomatoes were from my coworker's garden - they were delicious!). I thinly sliced the big tomatoes and halved the cherry tomatoes, per the recipe, and it worked out wonderfully. The more colorful the better, really!

Bon appetit!

Tomato, Prosciutto and Ricotta Tart

Serves 8 as a first course / 4-6 as a main

1 package Frozen Puff Pastry (1 or 2 sheets, 14-17 oz. total), thawed

6 oz. thinly sliced Prosciutto

1-1/3 C Ricotta Cheese

1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Meyer or regular Lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided

1-3/4 Pounds Tomatoes, larger ones sliced 1/4 inch thick, tiny ones cut in half)

4 teaspoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Chives, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 Tablespoons Tiny Whole Fresh Basil or Mint Leaves; or use chopped leaves (see note above)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. If pastry is in 2 sheets, cut 1 sheet in thirds along fold lines. On a lightly floured board, overlap pieces slightly with second sheet - 1 piece at a short side and 2 pieces end-to-end on a long side. Tim to fit, then press to join. [see note above]) Roll pastry on floured board into a 12- by 16-inch rectangle. Lift pastry to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Cover pastry with another piece of parchment and a metal cooling rack turned upside down. Bake until pastry is golden all over, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove cooling rack and top sheet of parchment. Arrange prosciutto on pastry to cover. Bake until pastry is golden brown with no raw-looking post in center, about 15 minutes; prosciutto will shrink. Gently press down any large air bubbles. Slide pastry on parchment to a rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

4. Combine ricotta, pepper, lemon zest. and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Dollop small spoonfuls of ricotta evenly over pastry, leaving a border clear, then smear ricotta a bit (it shouldn't cover completely).

5. Arrange tomatoes over ricotta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chives, basil, and/or mint. Cut into pieces.

Credit: "Tomato, Prosciutto, and Ricotta Tart." Sunset Magazine, August 2013: p. 84.