Galette de Tomate

Adapted from a recipe created by Chef John for Allrecipes.com.

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

3 tbsp Dijon mustard (wholegrain is fine as well, just make it really good mustard)

2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 tbsp herbes de Provence

1 tbsp dried lavender

Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

2 tbsp grated cheese, such as pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper. Fold each side of the pastry dough into itself to create a border of pastry around the entire pastry sheet. Only fold around 1/2” or so.

3. Score the border with a knife, making shallow cuts 1/4-inch apart. Use a fork to poke holes all over the interior of the puff pastry. (Not the border. These holes will help keep the center of the pastry sheet from rising too much during the initial bake. It will also make it far easier to press down the center if it does puff up, which it usually does.)

4. Bake the puff pastry until lightly golden and partially puffed, about 10 minutes. Press down on the base using the bottom of a fork. (Don’t press down on the border, only the middle.) Let cool for 10 minutes.

5. Spread the Dijon mustard over the inside of the tart. Arrange tomato slices into a single layer on top and cut a few slices in half to fill in the gaps. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the herbes de Provence and lavender on top. Don’t be stingy!

6. Sprinkle the cheese over the top if using.

7. Bake until pastry is well browned and crispy, around 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool until near room temperature. Then drizzle olive oil over the top if using. Slice and serve!