Right now, the answer for the best simple summer tomato recipe is France's gorgeously spare tomato and mustard tart. 🍅✨ This dish makes far more of its limited ingredient list than one could imagine. With just a few key components—ripe tomatoes, mustard, cheese, and pastry—it delivers a summertime snack that feels like pure magic. It’s all anyone wants to make with farmers market tomatoes this season, except, of course, for all the other glorious tomato dishes that also claim the title of "best." So take it at face value: This tart is the best. And so are all the others. That’s the joy of peak tomato season.

The Core Simplicity & Endless Variations

At its heart, the recipe is incredibly straightforward. A pastry crust gets a generous slathering of Dijon mustard, topped with juicy red tomato rounds and just enough salt to make them sing. 🎶 That could be it, though many recipes add a little something extra. Cheese is a common addition—often grated Gruyère, as in the classic version, but some feature rounds of fresh goat cheese placed on top. For a Provençal touch, pitted black olives can be dotted among the tomatoes. Herbs are always welcome: a sprinkle of dried herbes de Provence, fresh basil leaves scattered after baking, or whatever strikes your fancy. 🌿

While variations are potentially endless, a few key points deserve attention: the pastry, the mustard, and the salt. Everything else is easy enough to figure out independently.

The Pastry Question: No Rules, Just Freedom

One of the main selling points of this tart—beyond its outsized deliciousness—is how easy it is to make. But that often overlooks the pastry question. Many would argue that making any tart or pie dough from scratch isn't easy, and they wouldn't be wrong. However, you don't need to make your own pastry for this! 🥐 One of the best approaches is to keep good-quality, all-butter, store-bought puff pastry in the freezer. Move it to the fridge to defrost, and a tart can be ready in minutes.

If making your own pastry isn't a turn-off, that's great too. Pâte brisée, a savory tart crust, is perfect, but remember you'll need a tart pan for it. Trying to use it for a free-form galette is a recipe for disaster—it crumbles, cracks, and melts into a blob without support. If the galette route is the goal, a classic pie crust is better. It can be rolled out and folded to form a graceful border that cradles the filling. Or, just put a pie crust in a pie plate. Really, do whatever you want. That's exactly the kind of no-rules, flowing-freedom attitude that feels in the spirit of this effortless French country tart. 🇫🇷

The Mustard Magic: Why It Works

On paper, a layer of Dijon mustard might seem like flavor overkill—pungent, spicy, and sharp. Surely it'd overpower the tomatoes and make you wince with every bite. Promise: It does not. 🥰 It is perfect, in a way that’s hard to fully explain. It anchors the juicy, fruity tomatoes with a fragrant, earthy acidity that somehow harmonizes beautifully.

Some recipes mix the mustard with crème fraîche to temper its intensity and add creaminess. An equal-parts mixture of Dijon and crème fraîche is one of the most delightful and easy condiments ever stirred in a tiny bowl—it’s delicious on everything! But, strangely, it doesn't make the tart significantly tastier than mustard alone. The tart doesn't need it, and the minor effort of buying crème fraîche isn't necessary. Save that glorious Dijon-fraîche mix for something else.

To Salt or Not to Salt?

One might wonder: Would pre-salting the tomatoes and letting them drain help reduce wateriness and concentrate flavor? In practice, the benefit is so minor, so nearly imperceptible, that it’s not worth the extra hour of waiting. You can do it if you want—it’s maybe slightly better—but no one would notice unless tasting side-by-side, and even then, only if told. The tart is forgiving like that.

Recipe Details: Your Summer Blueprint

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 30 mins | Total: 45 mins | Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) sheet puff pastry, thawed if frozen (or 1 recipe Pâte Brisée, or 1/2 recipe Pie Dough)

• 1/4 cup (60g) Dijon mustard (or equal-parts Dijon with crème fraîche)

• 1/4 cup packed grated Gruyère cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

• 1 medium tomato (about 9 ounces), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick

• Kosher salt

• Herbes de Provence, for sprinkling (optional)

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions:

1. Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle position.

2. Pastry Base:

3. If Using Puff Pastry: On a floured surface, gently roll it out to fit an 8- or 9-inch tart pan or pie plate (roughly a 10-inch round). Transfer to the pan, press into edges, trim excess, and dock all over with a fork.

4. If Using Pâte Brisée: Follow the linked recipe through Step 7.

5. If Using Pie Dough: Follow the linked recipe for a single crust (note: the recipe makes enough for 2 pies; save extra for another tart or use). This dough also works for a free-form galette.

6. Assemble: Spread mustard evenly over the pastry base. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer. Season generously with salt. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence if using. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

7. Bake: Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the tomatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

8. Serve: Let cool slightly before slicing. Best served fresh, but can be held at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Pro Tips & Notes

• Make-Ahead: The pastry can be prepared through lining the pan, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 1 day before filling and baking.

• Storage: The baked tart can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Re-crisp the pastry on a baking sheet in a hot oven before serving.

• Equipment: An 8-inch tart or pie plate and a rolling pin are the main tools needed.

That's the beauty of this tart. An effortless wave of the hand, a casual gesture in the kitchen, and it emerges as another breezy favorite among all the easy-peasy tomato recipes for this summer and all the rest. It’s a testament to how a few humble ingredients, treated with care, can create something truly extraordinary. So grab those ripe tomatoes, slather on that Dijon, and let summer shine on your table. ☀️🍴