Fresh corn is one of the many perks that summer brings. The golden kernels are a juicy and sweet delight that I enjoy to this day. There isn’t much that’s better than farm fresh corn on the cob. As a child we used to help mom by shucking the corn for dinner. We’d huddle on the porch around a sheet or two of spread newspaper and pull away!
It was always one of my dad’s favorite vegetables, and still is. I thought of him when I saw this wonderful recipe come across my desk. I tell you what, our test kitchen folks are just fantastic, and I will never cease to be amazed with what they come up with. This corn and tomato tart is stunning and has my mouth watering as I sit here writing about it. I think this recipe will be a great addition to this year’s Father’s Day picnic.
If you’re interested in other fresh corn recipes, you’ll find them in Cooking with Paula Deen’s July/August issue. It’s the issue with fried green tomatoes on the cover, and boy do I have a story about the BEST fried green tomatoes I have ever had. But I’ll tell you about those next week! Until then, I hope you have a wonderful Father’s Day weekend, my friends!
- Crust:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup plain yellow cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup whole buttermilk
- Filling:
- 3 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato, halved
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 ¾ cups fresh corn kernels
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 5 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Garnish: chopped fresh chives, torn fresh basil
- For crust: In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and buttermilk; pulse until dough forms a ball. Turn out dough onto to a very lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Let dough stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 14-inch circle. Press into bottom and up sides of an 11-inch removable-bottom tart pan, Trim excess dough to ¾ inch beyond edges of pan. Fold edges under. Pierce dough all over with a fork. Place tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and top with a double layer of parchment paper, letting ends extend over edges of pan. Add pie weights.
- Bake until dough begins to set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights. Bake 5 minutes more. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for filling: Place tomato slices on several paper towels; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Let stand for 1 hour.
- Pat tomatoes dry with paper towels. Spread corn in an even layer in prepared crust. In a large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, 4 tablespoons cheese, pepper, and remaining 13/4 teaspoons salt. Pour onto corn. Arrange tomato slices in a circle on cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1-tablespoon cheese.
- Bake until center is set, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with chives and basil, if desired.
What’s your favorite corn recipe?
