{Tips & Tricks} Making a Rustic Tart + Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Rustic Tart Recipe

A rustic tart is one of the easiest dishes to prepare. Plain and simple. Whether you want to prepare a sweet or a savory tart, regardless of the ingredients you use, rustic tarts are a beautiful way to showcase fruits and vegetables while providing a simple yet classic taste.

The combination of the soft but flaky crust paired with a flavorful filling are essential to maximizing the overall taste of this easy-to-prepare dish.

Now that the fall season is upon us and the temperatures are finally starting to cool for many of us, rustic tarts are perfect to serve in this crisp weather. In order to create a flawless sweet or savory rustic tart, there are some helpful tips to follow:

• Select fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables that are bursting with flavor.
• Slice the fruit or vegetables in an attractive way (if necessary). When working with fruit, toss in sugar and lemon to help enhance the flavor and preserve the fruit.
• Arrange fruit and vegetables attractively on the pie shell.
• Assemble the tart on a prepared baking sheet so that it is not ruined when transferring from the counter to the baking sheet.Use less sugar when creating a rustic tart with sweet fruits such as strawberries, peaches and blueberries. Rustic tarts that need more sugar when baking are blackberries, raspberries, rhubarb and apples.
• Avoid making the filling ahead of time because it might cause it to be runny, resulting in a leaky rustic tart.
• Place the filling directly in the center of the pie shell, leaving 1 1/2 – 2 inch border so that the edges can be folded over the filling.
• Egg wash the crust and sprinkle with sugar (if baking a sweet tart) or salt (if baking a savory tart) prior to placing the tart in the oven.
• Preheat the oven in order to reach the maximum bake time for the tart. Bake in the oven until the shell turns a golden brown and the filling is warm and bubbly.

Even though I tend to make sweet rustic tarts using fruits such as apples and strawberries, I love to prepare a savory rustic tart every once in a while to change things up a bit. One of my favorite flavors is combining tomato, basil and mozzarella on everything from a salad to a pizza. Recently, I tried this flavor combo on a rustic tart and the result was not only beautiful, but it also tasted absolutely delicious.

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Rustic Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 pie shell
• 15 (approximate) cherry tomatoes
• Chunks of fresh mozzarella
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• Fresh Basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out the pie shell onto the assembled baking sheet (this reduces the damage that might occur when transferring from the counter to the baking sheet).
3. Place tomatoes in the center of the pie shell leaving approximately 2 inches of the pie shell free. Sprinkle mozzarella pieces over the tomatoes.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
5. Fold up the edges of the pie shell up and over the tomatoes and mozzarella.
6. Whisk together the egg and water and brush this mixture over the pie shell. Sprinkle salt over the pie shell.
7. Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes of until the pie crust is golden brown, the cheese is bubbly and the tomatoes look ready to burst.
8. Garnish the rustic tart with fresh basil leaves and serve warm.

What is your favorite type of rustic tart?