Twelve days into this challenge, and I’m already surprised by some of the things that it has brought me—my son is trying new things, my daughter is helping me cook, I’m learning to make things I never made before, and I am forced to buy things I would otherwise never have bought for myself. Like a food processor. It’s one of those kitchen appliances that I’ve always been able to get around without having—until yesterday. I really wanted to make the “Tomato Ricotta Tart” which required me to make the pie crust in a food processor—definitely not in my blender. And I’m so glad I did—because it was amazingly delicious!
Out of all of the recipes I’ve made thus far, I think this one was my favorite. It wasn’t just because it tasted great—which it did—but also because it looked so impressive and because my daughter and husband completely devoured it—the ultimate compliment.
On to the recipe. I was able to follow the recipe for the most part, but had to deviate in two ways. The first was that it called for pine nuts in the crust, but for the life of me, I was unable to find them in three different grocery stores. [My guess is that I was just looking in the wrong place, so if you know where to find them, please let me know!] Considering the taste and texture of pine nuts, I decided to use plain almonds instead. I’m not sure if the consistency would have been different, but it didn’t seem to make a difference to the overall taste.
The second difference was a minor one. The recipe called for heirloom tomatoes, but instead of the full-sized tomatoes, I picked up small ones of all different colors. By doing so, I was able to make a colorful pattern in the tart—and because we eat with our eyes first, I loved this decision. Also, because the tomatoes were small, I mostly cut them in half, and then placed them cut-side up in the tart. And, after I de-seeded them, I left them on a paper towel to get more of the moisture out of them (not specified in the recipe). Lastly, the recipe said to use about 1.5 pounds of tomatoes, but I have a feeling I used a little under a pound.
The result was a savory tart that was reminiscent of pizza, and yet light and creamy due to the use of ricotta cheese. Without a doubt, I will be making this one again. And who knows, now that I know how to make a ricotta tart, maybe I’ll even come up with some new things to add to it!
365 Days of Cooking Light 