I have a confession. I am not a good baker. Pastry frightens me and can't ice a cake to save my life. I make brownies from a box for God's sake. So, when I approached making a Pâte Brisée (tart pastry) for this recipe, I did so with trepidation. After a terrific end result, I can say with confidence that if I can do it, so can you. It was easy and just about foolproof. The crust was flaky and light, and the edges browned just enough to add flavor.

The inspiration for this recipe came from my Sunday visit to the Dupont Market, where I bought a feta sampler from Keswick Creamery. The sampler had individually wrapped chunks of Keswick's Feta de Provence, Italian Herb, and Basil and Tomato Feta for $5, which is a terrific deal. Mike has written about Keswick's feta in detail, and I have always been a fan of their feta, cheddar, quark, and yogurt.

I also had a bunch of cherry tomatoes on hand (which I use along with Campari tomatoes to get me through winter) that needed to be used. The tomatoes are the perfect size for a tart, and their flavor intensifies as they dry and caramelize in the oven.

Feta and Tomato Tart paired with a salad would make a wonderful dish for brunch, or anytime!

Feta and Tomato Tart

serves 6

Ingredients

Pâte Brisée

• 1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons ice-cold water

Topping

• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6-8 ounces herbed feta of your choice*
• 14-16 cherry tomatoes (more if you wish, or depending on the size of your tomatoes)
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling over the top after baking.

Directions

Cut the butter into cubes and place in freezer for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, place the flour and salt. Pulse 5 times. Add butter in thirds and pulse until it crumbs into pea size balls. With the processor running, slowly pour water through the top. The dough should come together and not crumble.

Take dough out of processor and form it into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to one month; defrost in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly butter a 9 inch springform pan.

Lightly flour a board and rolling pin. Place dough disk onto board and roll out to about a 10 inch diameter. Roll from center-out and make 1/4 turns to form a circle. Don't worry if the dough edges crack or become uneven. You can easily patch the dough once it is in the pan.

Place rolling pin at one end of the dough and roll the dough around the pin. Transfer dough to pan and pat down evenly. Tamp down the edges to make a bit of a crust at the edges. Patch holes in dough as needed.

Crack black pepper over dough to taste. Place crumbled feta, then tomatoes over the dough. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the tart.

Place tart in oven and turn heat down to 425 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow tart to cool for 5 minutes, and release the pan. Transfer/ slide tart gently onto a cutting board and drizzle more olive oil if you like.

Cut into 6 pie pieces and serve warm, or at room temperature.

*If you wish to use plain feta, fresh herbs can be added later during the last 10 minutes of baking.