Tomato Mozzarella Tart

When I was living in France before Fabien and I were married, we stopped by his Mom’s house for a visit, and when we arrived, she was pulling this (still bubbling) tart from the oven.

After the first bite, I got up from the table to retrieve a pen and paper, came back, sat down, and said in french: “Okay, from start to finish in the easiest explanation possible, please tell me how I can reproduce this.”

She laughed because to her it’s the most simple tart, that certainly doesn’t require a pen and paper to reproduce. When she realized that I was very serious, she clapped her hands together and started: “Donc, le secret is the dijon mustard that lines the bottom of the tart.”

This surprised me, because I always crinkled my nose at the mention of mustard. *Again, reminder, I until about age 22 was the pickiest eater on the planet.* I let her continue and in less than a minute, she was done.

“C’est tout?!” That’s it?! (It was).

Her explanation essentially went like this:

Line the dough in the tart pan. Prick it with a fork all over. Spread the thin layer of mustard.

Take your slices of mozzarella and tomato and alternate between the two when laying them (how a domino falls) around the tart.

Sprinkle with fresh basil. A drizzle of olive oil. And maybe a few black olives because why not?

“Et voilà.” And that’s it. Really.

Merci, Myriam! This recipe comes from my “Recipes I learned While In France” folder. It’s so good! Perfect to serve with a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.