¼ cup (loosely packed) slivered basil

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Tart pastry (recipe follows)

1 ¼ pounds beautiful, ripe tomatoes (a mix of colors and sizes is prettiest), sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Mix: Toss together basil, thyme and cheese.

2. Roll: On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 13-inch circle. Fold in quarters and unfold onto a parchment-lined baking pan.

3. Fill: Spread herb and cheese mixture over pastry, leaving a 2-inch border bare. Cover with tomatoes, overlapping the slices slightly. Drizzle tomatoes with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Shape: Fold the pastry border up and over the tomatoes, forming a 9-inch rustic tart.

5. Bake: Slide pan onto a lower rack of a 425-degree oven and bake until pastry is golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Slice and savor.

Tart pastry: Measure into food processor: 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Pulse once to mix. Drop in 1 stick unsalted butter (cut into 5 chunks) and pulse about 5 times, until lumps range in size from crumbs to beans. Dump flour mixture into a large bowl. Drizzle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, folding pastry with a flexible spatula, until pastry clumps. You’ll need about 5 tablespoons water. Pat into a disk. Dust with flour. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour.