Ingredients

For the Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 egg, lightly beaten
2-3 tablespoons cold water

For the Oven-Dried Tomatoes

6-7 pounds (about 24) vine-ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeds and juice removed
Olive oil
8-10 sprigs thyme, reserving some for garnish
Salt and pepper

For the Roasted Garlic

2 heads garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil

For Assembly

2 teaspoons garlic confit puree
1 ¼ cups grated Comte cheese

Directions

Into the bowl of a food processor, add flour, sugar, salt, and butter. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add the egg and pulse until just combined. Add water and pulse until dough just begins to form. Transfer to a large piece of plastic wrap and compress dough into a disk. Chill in refrigerator for a half-hour.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit into an 11-inch tart pan; trim. Chill for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the base of the pastry shell. Line with a piece of parchment paper, then fill with dried beans. Blind-bake the shell for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment, foil, and beans. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and return shell to oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.
Make the tomatoes and roasted garlic: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Arrange tomatoes on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly roast, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool.
Remove tops from garlic. Place garlic on a piece of parchment-lined foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Repeat with other head. Gather parchment-lined foil so that the garlic is completely covered.
Roast garlic until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Smear baked shell with roasted garlic and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Top with roasted tomatoes. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and scatter with thyme.
Bake 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and tart is warm. Cool slightly and serve.

Cook's Notes

Trim the dough using scissors, a sharp paring knife, or by rolling a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Cutting the pastry an inch higher than the edge of the tart pan gives extra height and reinforcement. Unbaked pastry shells can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 day, or longer if frozen.