BLT tart
Ingredients:
1 recipe flaky pastry dough
4 ripe but still firm heirloom tomatoes- try choosing some of different colors and flavors.
8 slices very good quality thick cut bacon
a few thin very thin slices of red onion (optional)
mixed salad greens chopped very finely- try arugula, mizuna, cress, and lettuces with a lot of flavor
1.5 tsp dried mustard
1.5 tsp maple sugar or brown sugar (muscavado is best)
1 tsp black pepper
4 very nice farm eggs at room temp
a sprinkling of oats
sea salt
1 egg for egg wash + a bit of water
Directions:
Slice tomatoes into thick slices and sprinkle on both sides with sea salt, place on paper towels- flip once after 10 minutes.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper then place a rack on top of that.
Lay the bacon out so that it is not touching, and sprinkle evenly with mustard, sugar, and pepper, then pat it into the bacon.
Place pan in a cold oven then turn heat to 350º and cook for about 20 minutes or until just under done- about 20 minutes.
Turn oven up to 400º
Blot on paper towels, and allow to cool before cutting into bite-sized pieces. It is, now, okay to steal a piece.
Blot tomatoes to remove excess moisture.
Roast tomatoes on the same cookie sheet set up with the rack for 10 minutes. They should be roasted, but not mushy.
Allow to cool, and lower oven temp back to 350º. Line a clean cool cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Split each disc of chilled pie crust into 2 pieces and form those into rounds. Roll out until about 8 inches round.
Sprinkle with some oats an brush with an light egg wash and bit of black pepper.
Layer tomatoes slightly overlapping, then onions, and top with bacon, leaving about two inches of dough overlapping.
Place on the fresh lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.
When all of the tarts are made, chill for at least 10 minutes, and then brush the crusts with egg wash and sprinkle with black pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350º. While tarts are baking, crack your room temperature* eggs into separate ramekins or bowls.
Pull the tarts out of the oven and slide one cracked egg onto the top of each tart. Increase the temp to 400º and cook the tarts for another 7-10 minutes.
My eggs were small so they got a bit overcooked for me by about 10 minutes. If you like your eggs more done, you can hit them with the broiler, I highly recommend trying one with a nice runny yolk.
sprinkle with chopped lettuces and eat it up!