• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Anchored Baking
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Living
  • Shop
  • Give
  • Contact

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Homemade Ricotta, Basil, and Lemon

July 20, 2020 By Lindsay Forbes Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Heirloom Tomato Tart

This heirloom tomato tart features homemade ricotta, fresh basil, and zesty lemon. I know we say this about most homemade things, but this ricotta tastes nothing like the ricotta you find in the grocery store. It is rich and creamy, almost like a very soft cream cheese. It is also so easy to make (you spend most of your time just waiting for it to drain)! The basil and lemon are there to brighten and complement the earthy heirloom tomatoes. 

I followed Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for homemade ricotta which was inspired by Salvatore Ricotta, a Brooklyn-based cheese maker. In Deb Perelman’s post, she links this video about Salvatore Ricotta. The video offers interesting insight into the origins of their company and the small-batch process they follow. 

The first time I made this recipe, I let the milk mixture sit with the lemon juice for 5 minutes, but I had better results after 15-20 minutes and then draining. The liquid that drains is called “whey.” You can discard the whey or use it instead of water for baking (in cornbread, waffles, etc). This post has lots of ideas about how to use leftover whey. The Kitchn, a trusted cooking resource, recommends adding a tablespoon more of lemon juice if your milk doesn’t separate enough (source). You can use this ricotta for all kinds of other purposes- toast, lasagna, pizza… the possibilities are endless! 

I love the addition of fresh cracked pepper in the crust of the tart dough and I will definitely try this for other savory tarts, too. You want to make sure to press the dough firmly into your tart pan. The tart is then filled with the ricotta mixture and baked again. I personally like this tart with raw tomatoes (especially when they are very ripe) but you could also experiment with placing the tomato slices on the tart and baking it with the cheese. 

Woman holding tomato tart outside

Would you believe me if I told you I got this recipe idea from a candle? Flamingo Estate has an Heirloom Tomato Candle and I was immediately intrigued. It smells like summer. It is fresh, herby and transports you to a table set with the summer’s best fruits and veggies. I wanted this tart to capture some of those summer scents. 

Roma Heirloom Tomato Candle, Flamingo Estate

Flamingo Estate is a 1940’s Spanish Colonial–style house surrounded by seven acres of land in the hills above Los Angeles. The current owner and founder, Richard Christiansen, is restoring the garden with over 150 botanical species, including an orchard with apples, citrus, plums, pears, avocados, macadamia nuts, olives, and peaches. Look how dreamy the property is! You can read more about the history of the property here and their current farm box offering here.

Inside Flamingo Estate, kitchen cabinets, dining table
Inside Flamingo Estate (source)

I hope you enjoy this recipe and it reminds you of all the scents of summer 🙂

Heirloom Tomato Tart

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Homemade Ricotta, Basil, and Lemon

Lindsay Forbes
This heirloom tomato tart features homemade ricotta, fresh basil, and zesty lemon. You will be surprised how easy it is to make homemade ricotta!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 1 14″ Rectangle Tart

Ingredients
  

Ricotta:

  • 3 cups whole milk (pasteurized not UHT, see notes)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Tart Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  • 1/3 cup ice cold water

Tart Filling:

  • 1 cup ricotta (the recipe above makes about 1 cup)
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • olive oil for caramelizing
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • salt, to taste
  • 3-4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
  • pea shoots or fresh thyme, for garnish

Instructions
 

To make homemade ricotta:

  • Whisk the milk, cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occassionally to prevent burning. Countinue whisking until the milk mixture reaches 190 degrees.
  • Remove saucepan from heat and stir in lemon juice (only mixing once or twice). Set aside and rest for 15-20 min. Do not touch it!
  • Prepare for draining: Place 2-3 layers of cheesecloth over a colander and place the colander over a large bowl. Make sure there is about 4 inches of space between the bottom of the colander and the bottom of the bowl. This will ensure the cheese won't continue sitting in the whey.
  • Pour the milk/lemon mixture over the cheesecloth and allow to drain for about 1-2 hours. The longer it drains, the firmer it will get.
  • Remove the ricotta from the cheesecloth and set aside. See notes for making ricotta in advance.

To make tart crust:

  • Whisk together the flour, parmesean and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry cutter to combine. The butter should become pea-sized and equally covered with the flour mixture. Add the ice water, a little bit at a time, just until there is enough to hold the dough together and you can form into a ball.
  • Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is a little bit longer and wider than your tart pan. Drape the dough over the tart pan and press down tightly (especially around the corners). Trim the edges. Cover in plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Take the tart pan with the dough out of the freezer. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom in order to ventilate. Cover with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, rice, etc. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment when it comes out of the oven. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, make the filling.

To make tart filling:

  • Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add diced onions and stir to evenly coat the onions in oil. Spread the onions out into a thin layer and let cook, stiring occasionally. Reduce heat to low to prevent burning. It should take about 20 minutes for the onions to caramelize. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, basil, lemon zest, and garlic in a medium bowl. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the caramelized onions. Taste, add salt and adjust seasoning as needed.
  • Pour the ricotta filling into the cooled crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  • Top with sliced tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and thyme leaves. Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes

  1. Pasteurized milk is fine to use. Try to avoid UHT (Ultra high temperature) because it changes the protein structure of the milk and could prevent it from separating.  
  2. You can make the ricotta up to about 2-3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. I normally have the ricotta draining while I am making the tart crust. 
Keyword heirloom tomato, ricotta, tomato, tomato tart

Filed Under: Appetizers, Recipes Tagged With: heirloom tomato, homemade cheese, ricotta, tomato

Previous Post: « Tayberry Lemon Tart
Next Post: Tartine Bakery Morning Bun + Giveaway! »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet Lindsay

Welcome to Anchored Baking! This is where you will find sweet treats, some savory foods, and fun facts about culinary history. Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Join the list

Subscribe to receive new posts via email.

anchoredbaking

Happy Easter! 🐰 I posted this new recipe for a Happy Easter! 🐰 I posted this new recipe for a Tropical Coconut Carrot Cake Loaf and I think you will love it!

The cake batter is filled with shredded carrots and warm spices but it also has mashed bananas in it (a trick I learned from @ambitiouskitchen). The bananas add sweetness and moisture, giving the cake a perfect texture. I topped it with a coconut buttercream and toasted coconut flakes to complement the banana. 

Check out AnchoredBaking.com for the recipe! I hope you give it a try :)
.
.
.
.
.
#happyeaster #carrotcake #bananavread #coconutcake #carrotcakeloaf #quickbread #smallbatchbaking #coconutfrosting #tropicaltreats #eastercake #easterbaking #springbaking #cakeforbreakfast #anchoredbaking #thebakefeed #wsbakeclub
Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ I just posted this Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ I just posted this recipe for Irish Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel and Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce. One of my favorite things about this cake is you can have it for dessert AND breakfast the next day! :) It is not too sweet and it is the perfect way to end a traditional boiled dinner if you are having that tonight. Visit AnchoredBaking.com for the recipe and more details! 
.
.
.
.
.
#stpatricksday #stpattysday #applecake #irishapplecake #custard #custardsauce #stpattys #thefeedfeed #thebakefeed #cakeforbreakfast #appledesserts #foodstyling #foodtographyschool #coffeecake #anchoredbaking #springbaking #caketime #cakelovers
Happy Mardi Gras! 💜💛💚 Today would be a gr Happy Mardi Gras! 💜💛💚 Today would be a great day to make these vanilla bean beignets with passion fruit curd. Hardly "traditional" but one of my favorite recipes I have ever published. The beignets have a fluffy, pillowy texture and the curd is a nice tangy complement to the sweet dough. I also wrote about the history of beignets on AnchoredBaking.com if you want to learn more :)

Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!) 
.
.
.
.
#anchoredbaking #mardigras #NOLA #dessertrecipe #breakfastrecipe #thebakefeed #food52grams @food52 @thebakefeed #food52community @foodtographyschool #passionfruit #lilikoi #mauibaker #beignet #foodhistory #passionfruitcurd #doughnut #redstaryeast #thefeedfeedbaking #bakingblog
New recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Ice Cr New recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Ice Cream with Fudge Ribbons

This recipe has white chocolate melted into the custard base of the ice cream. Then we add fudgey chocolate ribbons and sprinkles of crushed candy cane to recreate all the flavors of peppermint bark. You are going to love this!!

This is a great recipe for anybody who celebrates Christmas in warmer climates but if you are anything like us, you can enjoy ice cream year round! 😉

Recipe on AnchoredBaking.com!
.
.
.
.
.
#homemadeicecream #icecream #christmas #christmasbaking #candycane #peppermintbark #foodstyling #peppermintbarkicecream #whitechocolate #bakingrecipes #feedfeed #feedfeedbaking #foodblog #anchoredbaking #makeittogether #thebakefeed #myanthropologie
New Recipe: Gingerbread Crème Brûlée! This reci New Recipe: Gingerbread Crème Brûlée! This recipe has a spicy, creamy custard base, a hardened caramelized sugar topping for the quintessential crunch, and the cutest gingerbread man stenciled on top to give a nod to the flavors inside.

Check out AnchoredBaking.com for all the tips and tricks including a template to stencil the gingerbread men.

I hope this makes an appearance on your Christmas dinner table!! Happy Holidays! 
.
.
.
.
.
#cremebrulee #crèmebrûlée #gingerbread #gingerbreadman #gingerbreadmen #holidaydessert #christmasbaking #dessertsofinstagram #kitchentorch #anchoredbaking #feedfeed #feedfeedbaking #foodtographyschool #foodphotographyandstyling #christmasbakes #dessertrecipe #bakingtips #bakingblogger #jochefculinary
Fromage Blanc, Honeycomb, and Fig Viennoiserie fro Fromage Blanc, Honeycomb, and Fig Viennoiserie from The Pastry School by @julie_jonesuk 

Fig season is short but it is sweet! This pastry has a flaky, buttery crunch, fig jam, fromage blanc, and honeycomb. Each bite is filled with delicious flavors. Julie's instructions for the laminated dough were super clear and easy to follow. Check out my stories to see how these were prepped for baking -- I do wish I had something heavier than beans!

I ran all over town looking for fromage blanc (thank you @thecheeseshop!) but I think goat cheese would be just as yummy. I also thought about adding some toasted walnuts to the filling. Luckily, I know I will be making these again so I will try next time :)

Julie's book is full of creative and beautiful recipes - nothing short of artwork! This cookbook would make a great gift for the bakers in your life that like "projects" ;) Thank you, @chubbeekitchen, for showcasing this book and influencing my purchase! You can check out her page to see a bunch of other recipes she made from this cookbook. 
.
.
.
.
.

#laminateddough #viennoiserie #frenchpastry #homebaker #pastryschool #figseason #fromageblanc #cheeselover #anchoredbaking #foodartblog #foodtographyschool #thebakefeed #bakeandshare #redstaryeast #yeasteddough #breakfastpastry #honeycomb #savethebees #beecause #beechworthhoney
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving :) Wha I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving :) What was your favorite thing that you made?

We started the day with a slice of the pumpkin tea cake from @lizprueitt_tartine. It was the perfect recipe to break in my new @nordicwareusa pan- I love the wheat detail and the scalloped edges 😍

We cooked our turkey in a Hawaiian imu- I will do a dedicated post on the process and what we learned next week! 

Wishing you all a restful long weekend with your loved ones :) 
.
.
.
.
.

#thanksgiving #pumpkinspice #pumpkinseason #pumpkinbread #pumpkinteacake  #thanksgivingbaking #thefeedfeed #thebakefeed #foodstyling #bakingblogger #tartine #anchoredbaking #feedfeedbaking #foodphotos #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylist #cookbooklover #cookbookcollector #tartinecookbook #tartinerevisited #targetfinds
Mango Coconut Cheesecake Aloha from Maui where it Mango Coconut Cheesecake

Aloha from Maui where it is definitely NOT fall 😉

This cheesecake has a coconut graham cracker crust which is a subtle but pleasant surprise. The cheesecake batter is made with cream cheese and coconut milk making it extra creamy and delicious! I am most excited about the mango gelée layer which is made with mango puree and gelatine. It offers a nice fruity flavor, a complementing texture, and a beautiful smooth display. I dreamed of this cheesecake for a long time and I am so happy with the way it came out. I hope you love this recipe :)

Check out AnchoredBaking.com where I am also talking about all the different kinds of mangos you can find on Hawai'i. These mangos are from Yee's Orchard stand and they are so sweet and juicy. Best mangos I have ever found! Do you have any favorite mango recipes?

It is still in the high 80s here in Maui with plenty of sunshine and warm waters! I am not ready for all this pumpkin spice. Are you ready for fall baking?
.
.
.
.
.
#homemadecheesecake #cheesecake #bakedcheesecake #coconutcheesecake #mangococonutcheesecake #itmustbethephilly #mauibaker #mauiblogger #mango #mangoseason #anchoredbaking #feedfeed #foodblogfeed #foodtographyschool #f52grams #f52community #thebakefeed #thekitchn #bakefromscratch #feedfeedbaking #ediblehi #hawaiianfoodmagazine #eatlocalgrown
Today is Julia Child's birthday! She would have be Today is Julia Child's birthday! She would have been 109 years old. In celebration, I made one of her favorite desserts- Crêpes Suzette!

You start by making a stack of crêpes. Then you coat each crêpe in a caramelized orange butter sauce, fold them in quarters, sprinkle them with sugar and flablé with orange liqueur and brandy. This is traditionally done tableside because it is quite a show with the flames!

I recently finished reading "My Life in France" co-authored by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme (her husband's brother's grandson). This book gave me a whole new appreciation for her perspective on life. You could just feel her joy and sense of humor. I highly recommend reading it :) This book also details the writing process for Mastering the Art of French Cooking (which includes this recipe for Crêpes Suzette). It is fascinating and might just be my new favorite book.

Check out my post today on AnchoredBaking.com to learn more about Julia Child and my experience making this dessert. Bon Appétit! 
.
.
.
.
.

#juliachild #juliachildfoundation #juliaskitchen #masteringtheartoffrenchcooking #culinaryhistory #foodhistory #foodicon #cookbookcollector #getcookingcookbookclub #clubdecuisinefrançaise #homemadecrepes #anchoredbaking #castironcooking #homebaking #foodblogger #travelinspired #mylifeinfrance #f52community #feedfeedbaking
Load More Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2020 Anchored Baking