Tomato and Feta Tart – A Lovely Way to Celebrate Summer Tomatoes
Now that tomatoes are in season, there’s really no better time to make the most of them. Whether you’ve picked them fresh from your garden or found some lovely ones at the market, summer tomatoes are bursting with flavour at the moment – sweet, juicy, and full of sunshine. This Tomato and Feta Tart is the perfect way to show them off and enjoy them at their absolute best.
What I love about this tart is the wonderfully light and crumbly pastry—made with a blend of white and wholemeal spelt flour. It’s easy to work with and bakes into something that’s both delicate and nutty. The pastry is a bit more interesting than your average shortcrust, and it really complements the filling without overpowering it.
The filling itself is a brilliant combination of flavours. Salty chunks of feta, toasted fennel seeds for a bit of warmth and depth, and those gorgeous summer tomatoes. I like to use a mix of tomato sizes – some tiny cherry ones, others a little larger—and that variety makes the tart look so pretty and gives you a lovely mix of textures when you eat it. Some of the tomatoes are sliced, others are left whole. The whole ones roast in the oven until soft and blistered, and when you bite into them, they pop in the nicest way. It’s such a satisfying contrast to the creamy egg base and the salty cheese.
This is seasonal cooking at its best: simple, fresh ingredients that don’t need much doing to them. The Tomato and Feta Tart is perfect for a summer lunch, a light supper, or packed up for a picnic. Just add a crisp green salad and you’re ready to go.
Tomato and Feta Tart
Ingredients
Pastry:
- 100 g white spelt or plain flour
- 80 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 90 g unsalted butter chilled and diced
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 1 good pinch of salt
Filling:
- 100 g crème fraîche or double (heavy) cream
- 80 g whole milk
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 30 g Parmesan finely grated
- 110 g feta cheese crumbled
- 1 large spring onion or 2 small, thinly sliced
- 1.5 tsp fennel seeds toasted
- 320 g mixed size tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Pastry:
- In a large bowl (or food processor), combine the plain flour, wholemeal spelt flour, and salt.
- Add the chilled butter and rub in with your fingertips (or pulse in the processor) until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the cold water, mixing until the dough just comes together.
- Bring the dough into a ball, flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out the chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 2–3mm thick. (Or roll out on a large piece of parchment paper, then flip it over to line the case).
- Line a 24cm tart tin with the pastry, pressing it gently into the corners and up the sides. Trim, leaving a slight overhang. Chill again for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
- Line the pastry with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove the baking beans and paper, then return to the oven for 8–10 minutes until the base is dry and lightly golden.
Filling:
- Toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, milk, and eggs until smooth. Stir in the Parmesan and some freshly ground pepper. Scatter the crumbled feta, sliced spring onion, and tomatoes (slice the large ones, but leave the cherry tomatoes whole) evenly over the base of the blind-baked tart case. Pour the egg mixture over the top, allowing it to settle around the ingredients, not covering the larger sliced tomatoes. Finally sprinkle over the fennel seeds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 28-32 minutes, or until the filling is just set and golden on top.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving, best served warm.
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