Tomato & Black Bean Tart : gluten free and vegan

Hello to the most beautiful month of the year ~ hello September! ;)

September is truly my favourite month of the year…. not only because it’s my birthday month and I feel very special with a little celebrating… ;) but also it’s really the most breathtaking month – not too hot, not too cold, a beautiful time for a stroll in the park, a picnic, a bike ride, a bonfire or dinner in the backyard…

It’s also the best time for the farmer’s market or if you’re lucky, a big harvest from your very own garden. We are not so lucky to have a homestead of our own, but I am happy when I see my father-in-law show up with a basketful of fresh garden-picked tomatoes!

I myself only grow only cherry tomatoes in pots and those disappear quickly into salads or get eaten up straight off the bush… and I grow lots of herbs in pots too. But I do wish we had more sun to in our yard. Six huge maple trees provide great shade which we appreciate in the summer but don’t allow the sun to get through for a lovely home vegetable garden. I guess you can’t have it all sometimes.

But let’s get back to these beautiful tomatoes my FIL brought in… big, imperfect, a few cracks, a few bug bites – perfect!

I smile ear to ear when I see this basket (next time he shows up, I need to pull my camera on him and capture this moment ;)) He’s happy too about his one-crop garden. I guess we love tomatoes the most… enough said! ;)

So, being completely inspired by these beautiful tomatoes, I get a sudden vision of this amazing Tomato and Black Bean Tart!

I can see it already, I can taste it too…. I know it’s bright and colourful and delicious. It’s light and slightly flaky and rich in flavour from the fresh ripe tomatoes and fresh rosemary. The right balance of seasoning and tartness of onions and texture of black beans. That first bite is perfect and the whole piece gets eaten up quick. I pick the crumbs that fell off… I want one more. Or two! ;)

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Black Bean Tomato Tart

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups all purpose gluten-free flour or spelt flour
1/2 cup vegan shortening, cold
1/2 cup vegan buttery spread, cold
up to 1/2 cup ice water
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Toppings:

2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/8 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cooked black beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh rosemary leaves

To make the pastry:

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the shortening and butter and cut it with a pastry cutter or in a food processor. Once crumbles form, transfer the dough to a work surface, create a well, and slowly pour in the ice water, just a little at a time. Continue folding and cutting and adding water a few tablespoons at a time until a dough forms. Knead in the seasoning and fresh rosemary. Do not overwork. If the dough feels too warm or soft, cool in the fridge or freezer for just a few minutes. Divide the dough into two balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and keep cool in the refrigerator before assembling the tart.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Press one dough ball with your fingers or a rolling pin into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.

Drizzle the tart with a little olive oil and scatter the tomato, onion, black beans, and fresh rosemary. Brush the top with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until golden.

This was a great meal my family loved. The Mr. poured some wine, we set everything on the table, this was a regular weeknight but really felt special…

I served this Tomato and Black Bean Tart with an Avocado Black Bean Salad – really a quick mix of the rest of the beans, chopped avocado, tomato and little red onion (optional) tossed with some fresh squeezed lemon juice and himalayan pink salt and fresh ground pepper.

Kids don’t care so much for onions, so on the tart, the pieces were big to easily remove which we did.

I hope you like the sound of this Gluten-free and Vegan Tart and can’t wait to make it!

So you now know September is my favourite month and how much we love tomatoes! ;)

What’s your favourite vegetable or fruit of the season? 

I have to be honest I have made several delicious dishes with other seasonal favourites like peaches and plums and apples and zucchini, I just hope to find extra time to post all these recipes while they are still in season ;)

And by the way, I am excited to be joining in Vegan MoFo this year! Although all my recipes are vegan it’s nice to embrace the mission with a stronger movement.When people work together, it creates a stronger message! ;)

This recipe was shared at Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend!