Heirloom Tomato Tart

Preheat oven to 400ºF and place rack in center position. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.

Unfold the first puff pastry sheet onto the parchment paper and gently press with a rolling pin to flatten fold lines (keep in mind the sheet pan will hold 1 and 2/3 sheets of puff pastry side-by-side).

Repeat with the second puff pastry sheet (trim away 1/3 of the second pastry sheet and reserve for another use). Place both pastry sheets as close together as possible without overlapping and use water to gently glue and press the two pieces to gather and form one large pastry sheet.

Use a fork or dough docker to poke holes over the surface of the puff pastry. Place sheet pan in fridge to allow the pastry to chill while you prepare the tomatoes.

Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices (a variety of colors and diameters look very nice on the tart (don’t worry if the seeds and jelly fall out of the slices).

Remove puff pastry from refrigerator. Stir the onion and chive cream cheese to soften and use an offset spatula to spread an even layer all over the prepared puff pastry, leaving a thin border around the edges.

Artfully arrange the tomatoes slices on the tart—slight overlapping is okay, but try to keep a single layer for the most part (I like to start with the largest slices, then fill in with smaller ones).

Brush or spritz tomato slices with oil just before placing the tart in the hot oven. Bake for 20–25 minutes until pastry edges puff nicely and turn golden brown. Remove tart from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes (or up to several hours).

Just before serving, brush entire tart with a little more oil (tomatoes and pastry), sprinkle tomatoes with fleur de sel (French sea salt), freshly ground black pepper, and top with fresh basil leaves (basil will discolor if placed on warm tart). Slice with a sharp knife and serve.