Food & Cooking Recipes Appetizers Tomato and Brie Tart 4.8 (4) This summery tart is creamy, crisp, and juicy all at once. Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe Our tomato and brie tart makes an easy yet impressive-looking appetizer or main course. Store-bought puff pastry serves as a flaky, buttery base for the melty and juicy toppings and requires hardly any prep. Salting the tomatoes ahead of time removes some of their moisture, keeping the crust from becoming soggy. And while the instructions couldn’t be simpler, the flavors are anything but: tangy tomatoes, creamy brie, briny capers, and earthy thyme, all mingle together to create a truly special dish. Serve it warm or room temperature alongside a green salad for a light lunch or dinner, or slice it into smaller pieces for a party-worthy appetizer. 20 Heirloom Tomato Recipes to Make While These Juicy Fruits Are in Season How to Buy and Store Ripe Tomatoes Ripe, fragrant tomatoes will take this tart over the top. When buying tomatoes, choose ones that are shiny and feel heavy for their size. They should feel neither rock hard nor too soft and yield slightly at very gentle pressure. And don't forget to give them a sniff: Ripe tomatoes should have a subtly sweet, earthy smell that's reminiscent of fresh basil. Storing Tomatoes at Home When you get your tomatoes home from the store, store them stem side down on the counter. Only refrigerate very juicy and ripe tomatoes that you're not planning on using right away. It'll slow down the ripening process and buy you a few extra days. Bloomy Rind Cheeses Brie is a creamy French cheese with a soft, white, and puffy exterior known as a bloomy rind. During aging, the cheese is inoculated with a mold called "Penicillium candidum," which, over time, forms the characteristic white rind that gives brie—and other bloomy rind cheeses—a distinct flavor and texture. The rind not only perfectly fine to eat, it's delicious as well. When slicing the brie for this recipe—or just enjoying it with crackers—resist trimming off the exterior and give it a taste instead. Tips for Thawing Puff Pastry Puff pastry is sold frozen, and you'll want to thoroughly thaw it before using. The best way to do so is by stashing it, still in its wrapper, in the fridge overnight, where it will gently defrost without becoming too soft. If you're short on time, you can thaw it on the counter for a couple hours, just check on it periodically to make sure its not getting too soft or warm. Puff pastry that loses its chill completely can become sticky and difficult to work with, and may not puff up as well in the oven. Directions Heat oven; prep puff pastry, then chill: Preheat oven to 400°F, with a rack in center. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll pastry out to a 9 1/2-by-11 1/2-inch rectangle (1/8 inch thick). Trim edges straight. Refrigerate on a baking sheet 10 minutes. Salt and drain tomatoes: Sprinkle tomatoes with salt; arrange on a layer of paper towels. Top with more paper towels (to absorb excess liquid). Let sit for 5 to 20 minutes. Score pastry, then add toppings; bake 15 minutes: Score edges of pastry, creating a 1/2-inch border. Spread mustard inside border, then top with cheese, tomatoes, capers, and thyme, overlapping tomatoes slightly. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper, and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature; continue to bake: Reduce temperature to 375°F; continue baking until golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes more. Top with thyme sprigs and serve: Sprinkle with thyme sprigs and serve warm or room temperature. How to Serve Tomato and Brie Tart This light yet luxe tart can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Cut it into large squares and serve with a simple salad—like these tender greens or this recipe with its pickled shallot vinaigrette—for a summery lunch or dinner. You can also cut it into smaller pieces and serve it as a snack or starter. 5 More Savory Tart Recipes to Try Provençal Onion Tart Harissa, Goat Cheese, and Herb Tart Beet, Cheddar, and Apple Tarts Mushroom-Gruyère Tart Date, Olive and Goat Cheese Tart Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.