This past weekend I was lucky enough to work with my friend and photographer – Evan Brennan. Evan started his photography business about a year ago and has done some pretty incredible work since. I couldn’t help but call him when I needed some new shots of myself for MMoM. Since this blog is a lot more about food than the person who makes the food – I put together a prop that I could (gladly) stand behind or beside. I think the tart was also more photogenic. I also made a couple thai basil gimlets to make everyone more comfortable (recipe to come).

Thanks to Evan, I got some great new shots of my house, my pup, my food and me. My friends enjoyed eating the props later that evening.

Photogenic Tomato Tart

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
• half cup tapenade
• 1 large onion
• butter and olive oil
• fresh thyme
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• fresh basil
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• salt and pepper

Assembly: Heat equal parts olive oil and butter in a pan. Add thinly sliced onion and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, roll out the puff pastry until it is large enough to fit into a greased tart pan. Cut off any extra that hangs over the edge. Spread the tapenade over the bottom of the pastry. Add onion, scatter pieces of goat cheese and torn basil. Layer tomato slices on top – I think details are important here – use a variety of colored tomatoes and display them in some organized matter. Season the top with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour – or until the puff pastry is brown.