Until I had to change my diet to being gluten-free, tarts would be something I would make all the time. Especially since there are so many fun varieties. You can not only change the ingredients around but do sweet or savory. The challenge of baking with gluten free ingredients is something I am still trying to master. Gluten is the protein that keeps your dough stretchy and flexible and gives it structure. This happens when water and gluten come together and forms fine strands. Further it does help to make your dough rise. Without gluten the process of baking is somehow different. Still you do not need to give up baking just because you can have gluten. This gluten-free Tomato Tart is pretty easy to make. If you are not gluten-free, works with regular flour as well.
Juicy tomatoes, some cheese and olives will bring the summer back on your plate. The crust has a nice crunchiness even without the gluten.
For most of my baking I use gluten free “flour” and mix it myself. For this gluten-free Tomato Tart I wanted to simplify the process. Therefore used an already mixed, gluten-free flour base. Nowadays you can buy gluten free flour basis in most supermarkets or health food stores. Unfortunately a lot of them contain gluten free ingredients that I am not a fan of. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that corn flour or cornstarch is unhealthy. Nevertheless it has a sweater taste, is mostly carbohydrates, not that much fiber or nutrients.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of antioxidants and Vitamin C. They are rich in beta-carotene and the lycopen can help to prevent cancer.
Therefore I rely more on brown rice -, buckwheat-, teff- or amaranth flour that has more substance. Further I like to work with nuts. If you like tarts and nuts, maybe try my Chocolate Ganache Tart, no baking required. This also comes down to why there are a lot of discussions and studies saying that going gluten free is unhealthy. Ignoring the gluten for a second, whole grains are actually pretty healthy. They do contain fiber, niacin, iron, zinc, folate, calcium and some other nutrients that our bodies need. Unfortunately many gluten free over the counter products are not made with whole grains and lack some nutrients. Actually worth they could contain way more empty calories from added fat and sugar in order to increase the taste.
For this reason, I recommend when going gluten free to start reading some labels, especially on foods that are labeled gluten free. Do not just look for gluten on a label but also for sugar, fat and calories. You want to eat food that is high in nutrients. Especially for people that have been diagnosed with celiac disease and suffer from malabsortion this is important.
A crust with rosmary and some parmesan comes to gether with more cheese, some onions and juicy tomatoes. Gluten free Tomato Tart works not just everyone being gluten free.
Being gluten free does not mean the fun is cut out of your diet as well. This gluten-free Tomato Tart is a nice example that preparing your own food does not have to be complicated. Further I served the gluten-free Tomato Tart to friends that are not gluten-free and they were satisfied as well. Nobody wants to prepare all kind of separate dishes. Dishes for the once being gluten free and other dishes for everyone else. You need delicious food that works for everyone like this gluten free Tomato Tart.
The crust of the Tomato Tart is made with the Organic Basic Flour Mix of Alnavit that contains some maize starch (cornstarch) but first ingredient on the list is wholemeal rice flour and also has wholemeal millet flour. The product might not be available in your country. Still I am sure you can find flour mixes in your region with similar ingredients. This is not an ad but I want to tell you about products that do work for me.
When going gluten-free do not rely on just eating everything labeled gluten-free. Start reading labels and to prepare your own food. Your body needs nutritions, vitamins and antioxidants in order to heal.
Gluten-free Tomato Tart
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Ingredients
What do you need for making the Rosemary Parmesan Crust?
- 2 cups gluten-free Multi-Grain Flour Blend – You can use regular flour if you are not gluten free.
- 2 ounces Butter – For a vegan version use a vegan alternative.
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 ounces Ice Water
- 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan – Leave out if you are vegan. You can add 1 tbsp nutritional yeast for taste.
- 2 tsp Chopped Rosemary
What do you need for making the Tomato Filling?
- 2 Onions Chopped
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup or Agave Syrup
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 Tomatoes – Either you use 4 big once or around 1 1/2 cups small cherry once.
- 4 ounces Grated Parmesan – For vegan version leave the cheese out.
- 4 ounces Gruyere Cheese – or any other cheese you like.
- 2 tsp Chopped Rosemary
- 2 tbsp Chopped Black Olives
Instructions
How to make the Gluten-free Crust with Rosemary and Parmesan?
- Add the flour to your food processor, add the salt, grated parmesan and chopped rosmary and mix well. Add the cold butter. Pulse until no large pieces remain.
- Whisk together water and egg. Add egg mixture. Run food processor until a dough ball forms.
- Slightly grease your tart pan with oil. Make sure you take good care of the rim. Place little dough balls in your pan with some space in between.
- Using your hand, press dough into bottom of pan. Then press dough around edge to form a crust. Make sure everything is even and not too thick, especially the rim.
- Trim excess dough from edges using a sharp knife. With a fork prick some hole in the bottom. Slightly cover your crust with foil and place in your freezer.
- While your crust is chilling in the freezer, pre-heat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit. After around 30 minutes bake your crust in the oven, middle until golden brown, probably around 25-30 minutes.
- While your crust is chilling or in the oven you can prepare the filling.
How to make the Tomato Filling?
- Peel and chop you onions, sautee them in olive oil and caramelize with the Maple Syrup. Sprinkle some of the chopped rosemary on top. Set aside.
- Spread the onions on top of your baked crust. Sprinkle all Gruyere and half of the Parmesan on the onions.
- Wash your tomatoes and slice them, not too thin and arrange them in your tart pan on the cheese. Season with black pepper, sea salt and sprinkle the rest of the chopped rosemary on top as well as the rest of the parmesan cheese. Then add the olives.
- Bake the tart for 30 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are tender, and it is nicely browned.