Ask anyone at SGP what their favorite season is, and you won’t get fall or spring (because let’s be honest, we mostly have one season in Alabama - HOT ). Instead, you will hear football and tomato. We are anxiously awaiting the first game of the season; so meanwhile, we’re relishing every opportunity to enjoy our favorite summer produce.

One of our favorite ways to showcase gorgeous heirloom tomatoes is this simple tart, courtesy of our dear friend Kate over at Fig and Fern Flowers. If you are not familiar with her beautiful blooms, check out her feed now (and keep your fingers crossed that she still has a pint or two of her famous Fig preserves available!).

Closer to a margherita pizza than your traditional southern tomato pie, the concept here is simple - really good tomatoes. Add a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, fresh basil, good olive oil, plenty of cracked pepper and crunchy sea salt, and you’ll be wishing tomato season was year-round.

Ingredients

• Pastry dough or pie shell (we used one Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust)

• 4 oz freshly grated mozzarella

• 4 oz freshly grated Parmesan

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

• 4-5 ripe tomatoes, sliced (we love the tomatoes from Harvest Farms - find them at Pepper Place!)

• 1 Tbsp of your favorite olive oil (we used Arbequina from OliO)

• Salt & coarse black pepper, to taste (we like using a crunchy sea salt, like Fleur de Sel)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Slice tomatoes, then layer in paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

3. Rub a 10” tart pan or pie dish with olive oil (we actually used an 11” tart pan and it worked great); roll out pastry dough, pressing the edges against the sides of the pan. Prick the dough with a fork, then bake for 5-8 minutes. This helps the dough hold up against the juices that are released from the tomatoes during baking.

4. Remove partially baked crust from oven. Spread cheeses over the pastry, then sprinkle basil.

5. Cover with tomato slices, overlapping if necessary, then drizzle with olive oil.

6. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

7. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the tart, and garnish with fresh basil.

8. Slice into wedges and enjoy!

This tart is pretty perfect as is, but sometimes we'll add some crumbled bacon or fresh jalapenos to shake things up. Feel free to get creative!

What is your favorite way to enjoy this summer jewel? Tell us in the comments, or tag your pics on Instagram with #SGPSavors!