This simple French dish is what summer tomatoes are made for

It is easy to move superlatives when it comes to simple summer tomatoes. Catch me at any moment and I could explain that Panzanella is the best you have to do when tomatoes of the high season arrive. Five minutes later I will change my melody: gazpacho. NO-Spanish tuna and tomato salad. Or maybe a Greek salad? Oh, but then there is the classic Tomato sandwich On white bread with Mayo.

At the moment my answer is France’s wonderful replacement tomatoes and mustard cakes, which the list of limited ingredients is much more than you can imagine. It is all I want to do with my farmers’ market this summer, except that I also want to do all the other things that I have just torn down, and much more. So take me with my word: This cake is the best simple summer toma recipe. And also everyone else.

In essence, the recipe is incredibly simple. A kind of pastry crust is crowned with a spacious dijon slather, then juicy red tomatoes and just enough salt to make them sing. It could be, although many recipes add something here or there. Many are cheese, often grated Gruyère, as in this recipe, but I saw some with round fresh goat cheese. Some give the cake a Provencal note with black olives that are distributed among the tomatoes. Herbs are welcome: a dried pinch of Herbes de Provence, as I call here; Fresh leaves made of fragrant basil picked, which are scattered after the tartlet after the tart comes out of the oven; Or what else could make your imagination.

While variations may be endless, I have a few indications of three specific points: the pastries, mustard and salt. Everything else is light enough to find out yourself.

Biscuits

One of the main sales arguments of this cake – which is on the side of his oversized delicacies – is how easy it is to do it. But that overlooks the question of pastries – many would argue that it is not easy to make a cake or cake dough new from scratch (although it is hardly a task). But you don’t have to make your pastries for it. One of the best approaches here is to keep a couple of puff pastry bought in the shop in your freezer. Move it in the fridge to lift and you can finish a cake in a few minutes.

If you make your own pastries, it is not a setting, great. CharacteristicsA hearty, shabby crust is perfect, but remember that you need a sharp pan. I know because I tried to use it for a free galette in a less intelligent moment. It is too short to make anything free: it crumbles, risst and melts into a blob if it supports itself without a pan.

If you want to go to the Galette route, you are better off with a classic cake crust, which can be rolled out and folded on to form a graceful limit that weighs the filling. Or put a cake crust in a cake plate – do what you want. That is exactly the kind of Dort-Rules-to-contain-my-flußfreeedom Attitude that feels exactly in the spirit of this effortless French country jaw.

Mustard is important

On paper, a layer of dijon mustard seems to be exaggerated – actually, spicy and sharp. It would certainly overwhelm the tomatoes and have them twitch with each bite. I promise you: it doesn’t. In a way, I cannot completely explain, except that the juicy, fruity tomatoes with a fragrant, earthy acid anchor it.

Some recipes for this cake mix the mustard with crème fraîche to alleviate its intensity and give creaminess. I was sure that I wanted to do the same, so I made the same mix of the two and baked a cake with it. First of all, I have to tell you that a mixture of dijon and crème fraîche may be one of the most delightful and light spices that I have ever collapsed in a tiny bowl. I want to eat it on everything.

But strangely, I didn’t believe that it made a big difference. It was very tasty, but it wasn’t more tasty than the mustard alone. I don’t think the cake needs it, and I don’t think you have to add the (very minor) efforts to buy crème fraîche for this recipe. If you want, you can smear the Dijon-Fraîche on almost everything else.

Salt

While I developed this recipe, I still had one thought: Would it help to make the tomatoes ahead and let them drain? I thought it would help reduce waterlessness and concentrate your taste for a better cake.

In practice, the advantage was so low that I did not add it to the recipe, and I don’t think it is necessary to wait an hour while the tomatoes drop and drain before making the cake. You can also do it if you want-maybe a little better-but I doubt that someone will notice it unless it tastes side by side and even if you have told you.

But do you know what? That is the beauty of this tart. A effortless handwell, a casual gesture in the kitchen, and this cake is created another airy favorite among all the other simple tomato favorites for this summer and all of the others.

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