It's that season again, heirloom tomato season! Cafes, Michelin-starred restaurants, and farmers markets alike are celebrating, assaulting our senses with a myriad of tantalizing masterpieces, gracing menus and marketbaskets for just a few hot weeks. From a simple tomato-cheese sandwich, to the daring tomato sorbet offered between courses as a palate cleanser, our opportunities for experiencing this versatile summer gem are endless. There is even an annual TomatoFest held in Carmel, California. Not that I'm excited or anything…

But, as I began brainstorming how to best feature the guest of honor ingredient, a question kept popping to mind, what exactly is an heirloom tomato? Is it classified based on the age of the seed? Or, even better, is it a tomato variety that has been cultivated generation by generation, kept within a family? My off-the-top-of-my-head answers sounded as plausible as Narnia. So, I decided to do a little research.

Surprisingly, the term "Heirloom" has only been applied since 1981, when a seed catalog specialist named Kent Whealy used it in a speech he gave in Tucson. And shockingly, I was correct in my guess that the Heirloom variety has been passed down, highly appreciated by a family because of its incredible visual and taste characteristics. Tomato experts, Craig LeHoullier and Carolyn Male, have taken it a step farther and classified Heirlooms into four categories: Commercial Heirlooms, Family Heirlooms, Created Heirlooms, and Mystery Heirlooms. The Heirloom varieties are placed in a category based on the pollination, seed history, and/or dehybridization. The nerd in me could go on and on about Heirloom history, but if you're interested in more tomato trivia, check out www.tomatofest.com, The site features over 600 Heirloom seed varieties, and will help even the most novice gardener learn how to nurture their own Heirlooms for next year's delicious dishes.

Okay, so now that I've raved enough about the world's favorite fruit, here's a recipe that's sure to showcase the Heirlooms in your fridge. Light and easy, this dish is the perfect summer lunch, pair it with a frisee salad drizzled with balsamic, and a glass of light red, the best varietals to pair this with are the French Beaujolais or Italian Bardolino.

Salut!

Left Coast Heirloom Tart

Thyme Advice: Be sure to select Heirlooms that will stay fairly firm when they are cooked. Also, my recipe features fresh rosemary and baby capers, a tribute to the original tarte tatin, but you could switch in any ingredients that make your mouth water..oregano, shallots, anchovies, garlic, olives, marjoram, pickled mushrooms, the options are endless.

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp baby capers, best if rinsed
• a dozen fresh rosemary leaves/needles
• 3 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped
• 3 gorgeous ripe Heirlooms, sliced thickly
• 12 oz. sheet of pre-rolled puff pastry dough, be sure to defrost first
• fresh black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 425°

In a heatproof nonstick frying pan, place the olive oil, capers, rosemary, and thyme. Set over high heat, when you hear the capers sizzling, add the tomatoes by pressing them firmly into a single layer in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the tomatoes are softer and sizzling.

Next, put the sheet of pastry over the tomatoes, fold in the corners, but be gentle, don't press down on the tomatoes. Place the pan in the preheated oven and cook for roughly 18-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffy and golden. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the tart rest for a few minutes.

When slightly cooled, take a serving plate that is a little larger than the frying pan and set it on the pan upside down. Quickly flip the pan over so that the tart lands right side up, in the center of the plate.

Next, drizzle the tart with olive oil and sprinkle with the fresh black pepper. Slice and serve. Bon appetit!