This week's work ·
Late-summer tomatoes, a buttery crust, and the tart that uses them all
Ripe August tomatoes layered over a mustard-brushed crust with cheese and herbs — the tart that uses up the last of the market's best tomatoes.
August tomatoes are the reason the season exists, and this week we had more than we knew what to do with. The answer was a tart: a buttery crust brushed with mustard, a layer of grated cheese, and rows of tomato slices arranged in overlapping circles until the whole thing looked like a stained-glass window.
We salted the tomato slices first and let them drain on a rack — the trick that keeps the tart from turning soggy — then arranged them over the cheese, scattered with thyme, and baked until the crust was golden and the tomatoes had collapsed into sweet, jammy rounds.
We ate it warm with a green salad, and then cold the next day for lunch, which is maybe the better way. The crust stayed crisp, the tomatoes tasted like August, and the mustard did its quiet work underneath.
The lesson was about the tart as the best use of a surplus. When the tomatoes are at their peak, you don't need much — a good crust, a little cheese, and the patience to salt and drain. The tomatoes do the rest.
When the tomatoes are at their peak, you don't need much — a good crust, a little cheese, and the patience to salt and drain.
02 · The recipe
Late-Summer Tomato Tart
Ripe August tomatoes layered over a mustard-brushed crust with cheese and thyme — the tart that uses up the last of the market's best tomatoes.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Yield
- One 9-inch tart, 6 servings
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Perishable
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar or gruyere
- 3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick and drained on a rack
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Useful equipment
Method
- Make the crust: pulse the flour and salt in a food processor, add the cold butter, and pulse until pea-size crumbs form. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Press into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan, trimming the edges. Chill 15 minutes, then prick the bottom with a fork and blind-bake 15 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Brush the warm crust with the mustard and scatter the cheese over the bottom.
- Arrange the drained tomato slices over the cheese in overlapping rows. Scatter with the thyme and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Bake 25–30 minutes, until the tomatoes are jammy and the crust is deep golden. Cool 10 minutes, scatter with flaky salt, and serve warm or at room temperature.
03 · Linked objects
The things worth mentioning.
King Arthur 100% Organic All-Purpose Flour
A cup and a half of flour is the whole crust — this is the one flour that never lets you down.
Why we loved it: The gold standard for home bakers — consistent protein, no bleaching, and a crumb that behaves itself every single time. When the flour is this dependable, the baking gets to be the fun part.
Worth knowing: Costs a little more than store-brand flour, but the consistency is worth it for baking.
See the exact item on Amazon
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Salt is what makes the tomatoes taste more like themselves — this is the selected option.
Why we loved it: The crystals are light and grabby, so you can season by feel as the crust comes together. It's the salt selected for everyday use.
Worth knowing: It's a bigger box than you need at first, but it keeps forever and you'll use it daily.
See the exact item on Amazon
Yupanqui Organic Black Peppercorns
Fresh-cracked pepper is doing real work here.
Why we loved it: A few cracks of pepper over the finished tart is the finishing move — and this one has the aroma to make a half teaspoon matter.
Worth knowing: It's a single-origin spice in a generous bag — costs more than the supermarket tin, but it stays whole and aromatic for months.
See the exact item on Amazon
Frantoia Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A slick of good oil makes the tomatoes caramelize rather than dry out; this bottle suits the tart's hot pan.
Why we loved it: It's peppery and green in the way fresh-pressed oil should be, and a drizzle over the tomatoes makes them taste glossy and finished. Everything after it builds on that pour.
Worth knowing: It's pricier than a big jug of everyday oil, so the selected option suits cooking dishes like this.
See the exact item on Amazon
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Finishing salt is what makes the tomatoes taste crisp and clean — this is the one everyone reaches for.
Why we loved it: The pyramid flakes are the whole point — a clean mineral taste, a light crunch, and they dissolve fast on hot food. A pinch over the top is plenty.
Worth knowing: It's pricier than table salt, but you use a pinch at a time and it keeps for years.
See the exact item on Amazon
WÜSTHOF Classic 3-Piece Prep Knife Set
It retired the six-blade block it replaced. The one set of knives that genuinely belongs on the counter.
Why we loved it: We love the clean division of labor: the chef's knife handles the main cuts, the paring knife takes detail, and the utility knife bridges the middle. Three blades give a compact kitchen a proper prep rhythm.
Worth knowing: It costs more than a set knife and every blade needs hand washing and regular honing. Skip it if you'd rather replace cheap blades than care for good ones.
See the exact item on Amazon
USA Pan Bakeware Nonstick Round Cake Pan, 9-Inch
The 9-inch pan matches the recipe's bake and releases the cake cleanly.
Why we loved it: We love cakes that release cleanly, brown evenly, and come out of a pan built for years of weekly baking.
Worth knowing: The nonstick finish needs gentle handling; hand washing keeps it performing.
See the exact item on Amazon
Dexter-Russell Walnut Dough Scraper, Stainless Steel
The stiff blade cuts and lifts the dough cleanly off the work surface.
Why we loved it: We love the stiff blade that cuts cleanly, the comfortable walnut handle, and a build made to last through daily bakery work.
Worth knowing: The blade needs prompt drying; hand washing keeps the handle and steel in shape.
See the exact item on Amazon
Maille Originale Dijon Mustard, 13.4 oz
A proper Dijon gives the crust its quiet bite.
Why we loved it: Traditional Dijon Originale mustard from the named producer; the Amazon jar is 13.4 ounces while the current manufacturer page shows a smaller jar.
Worth knowing: Exact identity is governed here; availability and other commercial conditions can change.
See the exact item on Amazon
