Yesterday I was on my own for dinner again. I was already reaching for the cereal box, when my eyes caught a bowl of wrinkled tomatoes. We have about 10 kg (22 lbs) organic tomatoes in our kitchen - most of them still slightly raw, but the oldest were just starting to get overripe. I eat a fair share of fresh tomatoes, and wasn't feeling like tomato(y) soup, salsa, oven baked tomatoes, or tomato sauce, either. I almost turned away and went back to the cereal box, but there was a small voice in my head saying the wrinkled tomatoes might be bad by tomorrow. Seeing as these tomatoes are perfectly sweet, juicy and delicious, and as most tomatoes in the stores this time of year are imported from Spain (and not organic), I just didn't have the heart to let them go to waste.


As I was standing there wondering what to do with them, I suddenly remembered my friend having some tomato-mozzarella tart at a restaurant we visited some time ago. While I obviously didn't taste the tart myself, she said it was amazing. There it was - vegan tomato tart!

I didn't have a recipe for this, so I just took a basic pie crust I use for a lot of savory tarts, and decided to try and mix the tomatoes with some olives, garlic and herbs (these are always safe choices with tomatoes, right?). :) I also intended to mix in some black beans I had in the fridge, but I forgot all about them in the end - so I had them on the side instead.

I only have fresh oregano in my kitchen at the moment: it was growing in the garden all summer and somehow survived the first night frost when I forgot to move it indoors, and is now growing happily on my window. If you do have fresh basil and thyme (or other fresh herbs) on hand, however, I think they would be perfect in this tart. :) You could also add some vegan mozzarella- or other cheese, if you like.


Vegan Tomato and Olive Tart

For the crust:

• 1 1/2 c spelt flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/3 c canola oil
• 1/4 c non-dairy milk

For the filling:

• 900 g/2 lbs fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 15 Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• handful of fresh oregano
• freshly ground black pepper

To make th crust:
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan (by all means, use a real tart pan if you have one ;)).

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the oil and milk, and mix until smooth. Press onto the bottom and sides of the pan, and poke with a fork all over to avoid bubbling (you can also place a baking sheet and dry beans in the pan to get a pretty crust - but I never bother). Bake in the lower part of the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.


While the crust is in the oven, make the filling:
In a large skillet, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, coriander, basil and thyme. Cook on medium-low heat for about five minutes. Drain the liquid that has been released (this makes a nice stock for lentil soup or other vegetable dish, so don't discard it ;)). Mix in the olives and oregano.

Pour - or nicely arrange - the tomato mixture on the crust. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Let cool for a moment before serving: serve warm, but not hot. Garnish with fresh herbs.



I managed to use up all the wrinkled or soft tomatoes, but still have a huge box of lovely tomatoes for the coming days and weeks. :)

What are your favorite things to make with tomatoes?
Any recipe suggestions are more than welcome!