Mr. Ellis’s Tomato Tart
This savory tart has a buttery crust, a righteous mayonnaise-buttermilk-Parmesan custard, and loads of tomatoes. It’s best made in deep summer, when you can get the best, juiciest tomatoes of all colors and sizes.
By Yankee Magazine|Jul 28 2021|
Mr. Ellis’s Tomato Tart
Photo Credit: Lori Pedrick | Styling by Liz NeilyThis savory tart was created by my friend Cole Ellis, who runs the Delta Meat Market in his hometown of Cleveland, Mississippi. It has a buttery crust, a righteous mayonnaise-buttermilk-Parmesan custard, and loads of tomatoes. Though it goes without saying, this should be made only in deep summer, when you can get the best, juiciest tomatoes of all colors and sizes.
From “The Jewels of Summer” by Jessica Battilana, July/August 2019
Yield
6 servings
For the crust
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼ cup ice water
Instructions
First, make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the pieces are the size of small peas. Pour in the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball. Place a long piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board, turn the dough out onto the plastic wrap, flatten the dough into a 1-inch-thick disk, then wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to three days; it can also be frozen for up to a month, but let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
Preheat oven to 350°. Place dough on a lightly floured cutting board and use a lightly floured rolling pin to make a 14-inch circle about ¼ inch thick. Transfer to a 10-inch removable bottom tart pan, fitting dough into the bottom and sides and pinching off any excess. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Remove from refrigerator and use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough all over. Place a 14-inch sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil into the tart pan, and add dried beans or pie weights to weigh the paper down. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake until the crust edges are firm and beginning to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the paper and pie weights. Return to the bottom rack and continue to bake until the crust is golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
For the filling
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ cup plus ¼ cup grated Parmesan
6 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼-inch wedges
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Now, make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, eggs, ½ cup Parmesan, chopped scallions, and black pepper. Pour ¾ of the mixture into the crust, then arrange the tomato wedges in a circular pattern, overlapping them slightly. Roughly tear the basil leaves and distribute evenly over the top of the tart. Pour the remaining custard over all and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Bake until crust is a deep golden brown and filling is set and beginning to brown on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool at least 30 minutes, then unmold and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Why so much mayonnaise? Why so much butter? I made this tart and it wouldn’t stay together when I took it out of the pan. The primarily-mayonnaise filling was running everywhere. The recipe says it is 6 servings. I calculated the calories per serving: nearly 800! I don’t see the need for all the butter and mayonnaise.
This recipe worked out beautifully for me. The tart was eaten in record time!
It looked good but when I saw all that mayonnaise listed in the ingredients I decided not to make it. Can the mayonnaise be substituted?
This looks delicious!
Regarding the mayo and butter…. Moderation in all things, including moderation.
I can’t wait to get to the farmers market so I can try this!
One thing I have learned after making too many tomato tarts/pies that turned out a soggy mess is that especially with the wonderful juicy summer tomatoes, you really need to drain the tomatoes after cutting and even remove the seeds and “jelly” around the seeds before putting them in the crust. In this recipe, they may be adding too much juice to the custard filling.
This was a fabulous recipe!! i did make it exactly as written and it was delicious. All my girlfriends loved it….and so did my husband. While my crust didn’t stand up as beautifully as in the picture, it was still delicious. As I don’t use that much butter or mayo, it was a perfect treat! I’ll definitely make this again….and the sooner, the better.
Love this recipe..wonderful tomato pie❤️❤️✨
Can the NE Tomato tart be frozen after it is baked and for how long will it remain good in the freezer. Thanks very much!
Thank you, Mr. Ellis and Yankee Magazine for this wonderful taste of summer. I made my own mayo using extra virgin olive oil for the emulsion. It took every bit of 5 minutes to make that mayo, and it was worth it. I also managed to get heirloom tomatoes and 85% fat butter along with King Arthur flour for the crust. The result was husband asking if there was “anymore of that tomato thing” I made for game night. Recipes like this make Lent and meatless dinner days something to look forward to rather than dread. What a keeper!
can substitute mayo with a soft tofu mayo recipe and plant milk with 1 tblsp of apple cider vinegar to go plant based can also substitute eggs with other options
correction
plant milk with 1 tblsp of apple cider vinegar instead of buttermilk
My mom would hate me for tweaking a recipe I haven’t tried yet, but I’ll bet you could substitute 6 to 8 ounces of cream cheese (even light cream cheese) for the mayo and it would be delicious. Or try half goat cheese and half cream cheese. Still some calories and fat, but a little more substance and nutrition than mayo. I agree with the comment about draining the tomatoes – I have also had my share of soggy-bottomed tomato tarts. Not fun.
This recipe is a dream. I made it exactly as written with one exception: before pre-baking, I brushed egg wash on the bottom and sides. No soggy bottom here!
This looks delicious but I, too, thought that was a lot of mayonnaise. Cooking Light’s website says that Greek yogurt can be substituted for the mayo but I also like reviewer papalini’s suggestion to use half cream cheese and half goat cheese!
I use grape tomatoes roasted with olive oil salt and pepper until they are almost candied. never soggy and can be made year round . i also got this fecipe from Cole but too runny even when i drained the tomatoes so I tweaked a bit. He is an excellent chef. love to eat at his restaurant!
While family loved it, made in pie crust but otherwise kept to the recipe. Very very delicious and great use of tomato harvest.
Best tomato pie I’ve ever had. And, I’m from the South where we eat a LOT of tomato pie. The comments about the mayo are hilarious to us! YES, you need that much mayo! Also, remember what you’re really baking is a custard so it must sit for a bit to set after baking. If you’re getting a runny pie, it usually just needs to sit longer after baking…at least that’s been my experience through the years. I’ve also been known to slice my tomatoes first and let them sit on towels to drain while I get the rest of the pie ready. Anyhoo! We in the South LOVE this pie!