Heirloom tomato tart with a Parmesan crust

This quiche has the most amazing crust. It's not exactly light and flaky, dense and chewy would be better adjectives, but it has 2 cups of grated Parmesan in it which gives it the most delicious cheesiness imaginable. Farmer's market tomatoes, basil, edible flower petals, dried marigolds and eggs and milk were the only other ingredients. The petals and marigolds look pretty enough, but I'm not sure they actually add anything in terms of taste, but, it's Summer, a few flowers and a desire for delicate looking food is perfectly acceptable.

Recipe : Tomato and herb quiche with a wholewheat Parmesan crust

Adapted from this recipe by Heidi Swanson

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup wholewheat flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp water

6 - 8 medium sized tomatoes, sliced or lots of little ones, cut in half

a handful of fresh basil, finely shredded

a few edible flower petals, (optional)

a little salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

First: 

To prevent the tomatoes leaking too much juice and making the pastry soggy, lay the slices on a piece of kitchen towel, sprinkle 1 tsp of salt over and lay another piece of towel on top. Let them slowly drain while you make the pastry. 

To make the crust:

Put both flours, salt and Parmesan in a large mixing bowl and stir well. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub the fat into the flour until you have a mixture resembling breadcrumbs. Add the water and stir through, then use your hands to squeeze the dough together until you have a lump which leaves the bowl clean. Cover it with cling wrap and refrigerate for around 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350oF. After 30 minutes of chilling, remove your dough from the fridge and roll out into a circle about 12 inches diameter on a floured board. Because of the fat content in the cheese, the dough may break apart and feel a little flaky. Don't worry, you can easily press it together later. Butter and flour a quiche or baking dish and lay your dough into it, pressing it down into the corners and making sure it comes up the edge all the way round. Place a piece of foil inside the dough and weigh it down with rice, dried beans or ceramic pie beans and 'blind bake' in the oven for about 15 minutes. This will help it stay down and start to cook without becoming soggy when the tomatoes are added.

After the dough has cooked for 15 minutes, remove the beans and foil and start to lay your tomatoes into the crust. There will still be a little salt clinging to the tomatoes, but a very small amount of extra will be fine, just a light sprinkling, but you need to add a few good grinds of pepper. Scatter over the basil leaves and flowers.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk. Beat until a little frothy and pour over the tomatoes and herbs. If you have some Parmesan left over, you can sprinkle this over the top of the quiche. 

Bake in the oven at the same 350oF oven for approximately 50 - 60 minutes. Check after this time that the eggs are set by inserting a skewer into the middle. If it comes out clean and the quiche feels relatively solid when lightly shaken, it should be ready. (You can keep adding 5 - 10 minutes more in the oven until it's done). Let it cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack or plate and let cool a little longer until ready to serve. The tomatoes become so intense once salted and roasted, the taste is a little reminiscent of a tomato soup or even ketchup, but without all that sugar.