Pomme d'amour

The tomato has a checkered past. Originating from the Andes region of South America, the tomato was thought to be poisonous when first brought to Europe and the New World by Spanish explorers. It wasn't until 1820 when American Col. Robert Gibbon sat eating the dreaded fruit (yes, fruit) on the courthouse steps in Salem, NJ, that the Americans and French alike abandoned this myth. Not to worry, though, a new myth soon took hold. The ever-romantic French decided the pomme d'amour, or love apple, was an aphrodisiac.

I've never really found the tomato to be an aphrodisiac, personally, but I do love tomatoes. Let me clarify: I love home-grown tomatoes–my tomatoes. What qualifies in the grocery store as a tomato is a sad impostor that looks right but tastes terribly wrong. Even organic tomatoes just don't taste like the lovely gems grown at home. If you're lucky enough to have a few of the season's last love apples, I have a dish for you–a dish I eagerly wait for each summer. I've made a few changes to the original recipe, and I experiment with different cheeses, but this is a wonderful way to use the last–or first–tomatoes of the season.

A dear friend of mine shared this recipe with me a few years back; it was a recipe given to her by her mother. You can keep this simple by buying a prepared pie crust, or you can make your own crust, which is really easier than you might think. I make a crust from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers that has wheat pastry flour, unbleached all-purpose flour, butter, and sour cream. I've tried other pastry recipes for savory tarts but none compare, as far as I'm concerned. So, without further delay, I give you

Liz's Tomato Tart

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded
3 tomatoes, peeled, chopped, and drained
3 Tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper to taste

Scatter Gruyere cheese over pastry shell. Spread a layer of tomatoes over cheese. Add shallot and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Beat eggs and milk together and pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until done.

Bon appetit!