In the peak of tomato season, it can be difficult to stray from simply slicing your heirloom tomatoes and serving them fresh with a drizzle of great olive oil and exceptional sea salt. To be honest, we could eat this every day for the rest of our lives and never get bored. If you have the patience, however, to bake sliced heirloom tomatoes into this gorgeous tomato galette, do. With a flakey buttery crust that comes together quickly (and easily), creamy tangy goat cheese sprinkled on top and a silky sweet balsamic vinegar drizzle, you'll have a new favorite way to enjoy seasonal tomatoes. 

HEIRLOOM TOMATO CROSTATA 

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

▢ 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
▢ 1 tsp salt
▢ 8 tbsp butter, chilled, cut into small cubes
▢ 1 tbsp vodka
▢ 1/4 cup ice water

 TO ASSEMBLE

▢ 1 shallot, minced
▢ 1 tbsp dijon mustard
▢ 1-2 large heirloom tomatoes
▢ 2 tbsp EVOO, divided
▢ 1 tsp Dried Basil
▢ 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
▢ 1 egg
▢ 1 oz goat cheese
▢ Balsamic vinegar for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine flour and salt in a food processor and mix. Add chilled, cubed butter and pulse until the flour/butter mixture looks like small pebbles. 
2. Drizzle in the vodka and water, tbsp by tbsp, until the dough begins to come together in a shaggy mixture. You don’t want to add too much water, otherwise, your dough won’t have those delicious buttery flakes when it bakes. Turn out the shaggy dough onto a clean surface and bring it together into a ball until it holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and press into a disk. Refrigerate for at least an hour. 
3. If your dough has been refrigerated for over 3 hours, bring it out 30 minutes prior to assembling. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Roll out your dough on a gently floured surface into a round, ⅛ inch thick dough. Line the backside of a metal sheet pan with parchment paper, and carefully transfer your dough onto the parchment. 
4. Spread 1 tbsp of dijon mustard around the middle of the dough, leaving 3 inches around. Slice the tomatoes into ¼ inch thick rounds, and arrange them on top of the mustard, keep the edges clear. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and dried basil.  
5. Make an egg mixture with your egg and a few tbsp of water, and gently begin to fold the edges of the dough, overlapping as needed. Brush the top of the dough with your egg wash and place the pan into the oven. Bake until the crust of your crostata is golden brown and the bottom of the crust is cooked (roughly 30 minutes). You can check this by lifting it carefully from the parchment and feeling whether the crust is hard or soft.
6. Remove from the oven, and dollop goat cheese evenly on top of the crostata. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 
7. Mangiamo!