Pastry
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbl. dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz.unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup cold water
Filling
12 tablespoons olive oil
3 qts. halved and thinly sliced onion
4 clove garlic, minced
salt to taste
4 tablespoon semolina or fine cornmeal
8 large fresh Florida tomatoes
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups grated provolone or mozzarella cheese
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1. To make the pastry, combine the flour,
basil, salt, and butter in a food processor.
Turn the machine on for 10 seconds. Add 8
oz. of the water and run the machine for
5 seconds. Add the remaining 8 oz.of water
and turn the machine on for about 7 more
seconds, until the mixture forms damp crumbs.
2. Empty the crumbs into a bowl and
pack
the pastry together, adding a few more
drops
of cold water if necessary. Kneed the
dough
2 or 3 times in the bowl, then flatten
it
into a thick disk on a sheet of plastic
wrap.
Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy
skillet.
Add the onion and sauté over low heat
for
10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally,
until golden brown. Add the garlic,
salt
the onion slightly, and sauté 1 minute
more.
Scrap the onion onto a plate and cool.
Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees.
4. To assemble, divide dough into 4 equal
portions. Roll each into a 13-inch circle
on a sheet of lightly floured wax paper.
Invert the pastry onto a baking sheet and
peel off the paper.
5. Sprinkle the semolina or cornmeal
onto
the pastry in roughly a 9-inch circle
in
the center of the tart. Spread the
onions
over the semolina. Add Cheese on top
of onions.
Core the tomatoes and cut them into
slices
nearly 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the
slices
in an overlapping circle over the onions,
with several slices in the center.
Lightly
salt and pepper the tomatoes.
6. Fold the edges of the dough up over
the
filling, pleating it as you go. Bake
on the
center rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
Slide
the sheet out and cover the tomatoes
with
the grated cheese. Bake for 10 more
minutes
(Bake in one time period 55 minutes)
7. Cool the tarts on the sheet on a rack
for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and
serve. |
