Green Tomato, Bacon & Cheddar Tart
“I wonder how many people don't get the one they want, but end up with the one they're supposed to be with.”― Fannie Flagg, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop CafeWhat do you do when the garden gives you green tomatoes? That was the question that spurred me to whip together this quick, easy, but super-impressive dinner party starter for 6-8, which also makes a great meal for 3-4 people with a nothing but a salad. This is not the recipe where I teach you to make puff pastry from scratch. At enormous expense and personal sacrifice, I grew the tomatoes myself and, while beautiful, they refused to ripen. So it is okay with me that everything else in this recipe is storebought.I felt Fannie would approve when I first tasted the last-minute creation, admittedly after I'd already served it to my dinner guests. I had hoped that the rich pastry, sharp cheddar cheese, and salty bacon would provide some camouflage for the out-of-season produce, but was totally blown away when everyone raved about the harmony of tangy, smokey, and unctuous flavors that explode on the palate with every crispy bite. Naturally, I exhibited the humility of true genius... Now I always keep a package of frozen puff pastry on hand around the time the first frost threatens my tomato vines.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry defrosted
- 2 cups green tomatoes diced, if large
- 1 cup extra-sharp aged cheddar cheese large dice
- 1 cup smoked bacon thick sliced, large dice
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Defrost a sheet of puff pastry. Clean your tomatoes, remove stems, and allow to dry. If using large green tomatoes, cut into large dice, or bite-sized wedges. Small or cherry sized tomatoes should be left whole to reduce moisture that can weight down the pastry.
- Preheat oven to 420 F. For simple recipes like this one, the quality of ingredients matter. Buy your favorite thick-cut smoked bacon and cut it into squares by width. I use a breakfast coffee and black pepper cured bacon from my local butcher.
- Render the fat and cook the bacon by heating it slowly over medium-low heat in an ungreased skillet, stirring occasionally. Take care not to burn the fat and protect yourself from splashing, continue to cook until completely crisp and brown. Drain the fat and reserve for another recipe. Let the bacon cool on paper towels to absorb remaining grease and finish crisping.
- Cut cheese into large dice and toss with bacon and tomatoes. The mixture should be roughly equal but a few more tomatoes than bacon and cheese isn't a problem. Toss with salt and black pepper to taste.
- On a sheet pan lined with parchment, unroll one puff pastry sheet and slice diagonally like a pinwheel. Make a heaping mound of filling in the center. Whisk egg and water to make an egg wash and paint onto every exposed part of pastry.
- Fold and gently pinch the pastry into a free-form 'Galette' around the filling. If you have filling leftover add as much as you can into the center of the tart. Paint egg wash all over the exterior.
- Bake for about 25-35 minutes, until dark brown on the sides and bottom. The center should be bubbling and beginning to brown. Let cool before slicing but serve warm.
