Recipe of the Month:

Heirloom Tomato Tart

Ingredients: (Makes 6 servings)
Black pepper parmesan pastry:
1 1/4 Cup flour
3/4 stick (6 TBSP) cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2" cubes
2 Tb sp cold vegetable shortening
2 Tb sp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper\
1/4 tsp salt
2-4 Tb sp ice water
Filling:
3/4 lb fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pesto
2 lbs mixed heirloom tomatoes sliced 3/4 " thick
(or good quality regular tomatoes)
1 bunch of fresh basil – stems removed

Blend flour, butter, shortening, parmesan, pepper and salt in food
processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea size
lumps. Drizzle 2 Tb sp ice water over and pulse until incorporated. Gently
squeeze -if it holds together don’t add more water. Divide into 2 portions.
With heel of hand smear each once in a forward motion to distribute fat.
Gather both into 1 ball and pat into a disk. Chill wrapped in plastic
until firm about 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 375. roll out dough into 12 inch and fit into a 9" tart pan
with removable rim. Trim. Lightly prick shell all over, line with foil and
rice as weight. Bake in middle of oven 20 min. remove foil and weights and
bake 15 more min. Cool.

Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a platter. Arrange 1/3 of
mozzarella on bottom of shell and drizzle with 1/3 pesto. Arrange `1/3
tomato slices overlapping, on top of cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Repeat layering twice with the final layer inserting a basil leaf between each tomato slice.

Drizzle with a good vinaigrette.

From the Kitchen of The Great Escape