One Tomato Tarte at a Time
It was one of those steamy Virginia happy hours with G&Ts in hand, feet dangling in the pool when I found myself deep in conversation with my dear friend’s mom, Holly. We hadn’t seen each other since pre-pandemic, but what I love so much about old friendships is how time seems to stand still. Within minutes, we were laughing about friends, neighbors, dogs, kids, art, and life. There is something rare about these cross-generational relationships. A kind of shorthand. A deep knowing and history that comes from decades of growing up and older together.
Also? Holly can cook.
She’s one of the reasons I ever cared about cooking in the first place. Most of my go-to recipes and foundational culinary skills came from her and her daughter Alston, who was my on-again, off-again roommate through much of our early 20s. These ladies taught me how money and time never had to be a barrier to cooking yourself (or better yet, a group of friends) a healthy and delicious meal.
When I got married, the most treasured gift I received was a handwritten recipe book from Holly. Her personal greatest hits. It now lives proudly on the shelf next to Bourdain, Garten, Rombauer, Child, Ottolenghi, and Teigen in my eclectic cookbook collection for simple, flavorful family meals.
Every summer, I wait for tomato season like it’s a holiday. And when it arrives, I make Holly’s tomato basil tarte. This year, I had the good fortune to share it with a beautiful group of women for a farm-to-table baby shower. At one point, we looked around and realized everyone at the table was a mother, grandmother, or mother to be. It hit me in the best way: the joy, the pride, the fullness of that moment. Women are caretakers and creators. We raise children, run households, grow businesses, and seamlessly manage it all. But more than that, we build memories, mentor younger generations, and create traditions.
That’s the heart of what we do at Ouest House, too. Female founded, our mission is to create legends through timeless and meaningful marketing.
The tarte? A total crowd-pleaser and requests for the recipe. And by popular demand, I’m sharing the recipe with my additional instructions on crust (shout out to my Aunt Lila for her baking hacks, and not to worry, we’ll be dropping more of her holiday-worthy recipes adapted from my grandfather’s bakery). They’re the kind of classics you can’t find online.
In the meantime, bake the tarte. Savor it with friends and family. And maybe, call or write to a mother figure from your past. Your fifth-grade best friend’s mom, your college roommate’s aunt, a loved professor, or first boss. Take the trip down memory lane. Trust me: you won’t regret it.
Tomato Basil Tarte
Ingredients:
- 1 Pillsbury refrigerated piecrust, cooked as directed
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.)
- 5 Roma or 4 medium tomatoes, seeded, drained, and wedged
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup mayonnaise (not low-fat)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
Instructions:
- While pie crust is still very warm, sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella and cool.
- Arrange tomato wedges/slices on pie shell.
- Hand chop basil and add to chopped garlic; spread evenly on tomatoes.
- Mix mayonnaise with remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and white pepper, and spread evenly over garlic/basil mixture.
- Bake at 375°F for 30–40 minutes, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned.
- Let cool at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes on crust from Lila Greene (Anna’s aunt):
Store bought is fine as noted above.
Bake at 350-degrees for 11 minutes covered with tin foil (shiny-side up) and weight it with beans or stones.
Pull from the oven and sprinkle cheese, then immediately place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to set.
*The crust can remain in the refrigerator for up to a few hours if you want to make it ahead of time.
