Vegan Heirloom Tomato Tart with Tofu Ricotta
I used to spend so much of my time quiet, with an open mind. I made space for doing nothing, listening to myself was a priority. I realized today that burnout, the chaos, the overwhelm, it’s all because I haven’t been able to hear what my body, my brain, my soul have been saying.
We go through huge changes in life every so often and in those times we don’t notice what weeds are growing in these new gardens, we only see the flowers and the fruit. It’s impossible to be fully aware of our needs and the changes we’re going through. Slow down to take a better look, to listen to you.
Go for a walk without headphones, quit plastering every minute of spare time with something to do, say no to people here and there so you can say yes to you. Do the things that feel less like a bandaid and more like an uprooting when it feels time. Find a shovel. Dig until you uproot the sources of exhaustion. Lay down the yoke. Open your eyes and mind. Listen the sound of yourself making dinner, the rhythm of the knife, the sound of olive oil dancing in a pan. Weed out the tired, busy noise. The details of life are the best part.
For the first time in a long time, I used my hands to make something without forcing it. No planning. No expectations. Just feeling and trying and tasting the work. I think I need to “give my soul a break” more often. This thing was delicious.
Vegan Spelt Tart
1 1/4 cup (150g) spelt flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (80g) tahini
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp ice water
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
Vegan Ricotta
1/2 block firm tofu
3-4 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
Toppings
Tomates: I used a mixture of locally grown heirloom and homegrown mini yellow pears
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh basil & flaky salt to garnish
Instructions:
Heat your oven to 350°F.
To a bowl, whisk the spelt, onion powder & sea salt until combined. Add in the ice water and tahini, knead with your hands until homogenous. If the dough is too stiff, add another tablespoon or two of ice water. Everything should be smooth and malleable. Form a ball and let rest while you make the ricotta.
Blend all tofu ricotta ingredients together until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender to ensure no clumps and blend one more time for good measure. Set aside.
Remove the tart dough, place on a floured surface and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a disk that is almost the size of your pie tin. Press the dough into the bottom of the tin or glass pan, flattening into the edges of the dish.
Slice the large heirloom tomatoes into 1/4” rounds and decorate your dough. Dollop the tofu ricotta as your heart desires. Douse with about 3-4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Trust me.
Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before garnishing with fresh basil and flaky salt, then serve!
