Before we get to the tart, I just wanted to post some pictures of my son David. He just turned 6 months old and is it just me, or is he the most handsome little boy you've ever seen?





Now on to the tart. This is a Tomato Mozzarella Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust from one of my favorite food blog sites, Annie's Eats. I have a lot of recipes that I want to try, but when you find one that has garlic, fresh mozzarella and fresh tomatoes it's hard to pass up. Although I don't know if I'll make this again, it was really good and the crust was unique. While this was cooking, the whole house smelled of garlic and basil...I'm making myself hungry thinking about it.

Tomato Mozzarella Tart with Basil Garlic Crust

Ingredients:
For the dough:
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1-2 cloves garlic
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8-10 pieces
4-5 tbsp. ice cold water

For the filling:
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
Ripe cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 tbsp. minced fresh basil

Directions:
To make the dough, combine the basil and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until finely minced. Add the flour and salt; pulse briefly to combine. Add in the chunks of butter and pulse about 10 times, or until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add 3 tablespoons of the water and pulse a few times to incorporate. Add 1 more tablespoon and process for several seconds to see if the dough forms a ball. If not, add the remaining tablespoon of water and process until a ball of dough forms. Remove the dough, flatten into a 5-inch disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 425.°

Transfer the chilled dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 12-inch circle. Lay the dough over a 9-inch round tart pan and press it into the sides. Trim the excess dough as needed or use it to reinforce the edges. Cut out a round piece of parchment paper to lay loosely over the tart dough and fill the center with baking beads. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the parchment and baking beads. Return the empty tart shell to the oven to bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and lower the heat to 375° F.

Layer the bottom of the pre-baked tart shell with the sliced mozzarella. Arrange the cherry tomato slices on top of the cheese in a single even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and minced fresh basil.

Bake about 30 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned in places. About halfway through baking, rotate the tart 180° and wick off any excess moisture that has collected on top with a towel if necessary (I did this twice during baking). Allow the tart to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

from Annie's Eats, originally from Ezra Pound Cake and The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook