Simple Summer Tomato Tarts

In our region, it's the best part of summer in the garden-- tomato season! To take advantage of the colorful harvest, we caught up with Styer's Garden Cafe chef Jared Frazer to learn a fresh and easy tomato recipe. The perfect bite for a patio gathering or light, warm weather dinner, these pretty, miniature tarts can be made in minutes. First stop-- a visit to the garden for a few of your favorite heirloom varieties and a sprig of fresh basil.

Jared says, "This is a great dish for those hot summer days because you can skip the baking, if you'd like, and buy pre-made tart crusts. If you have a favorite savory crust recipe, you can also make the miniature shells yourself. The base of the tart is filled with a simple tomato jam that we make in the cafe; we slowly cook tomatoes, sugar, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flake over a low heat until it becomes a rich jam."

"After the jam layer, slice your favorite heirloom tomato and add it to the tart; we get ours from a local co-op in Lancaster County, PA. Finally, add pine nuts, fresh basil, and pickled red onion. You can also add fresh mozarella or goat feta for a more substantial filling, or mix up the herbs with oregano or bright lemon verbena. I like to top my tarts with quality extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. It's that simple!"