Tomato Season With Tarte Tatin

Fall is a great season for fruits and veggies. They’re at the peak of their flavor and they’re so diverse, it can get hard to choose between one and the other. Tomatoes are in season and if you’re still buying your tomatoes in a supermarket, it’s that you’re missing out on the real tomatoes that are sold in local markets these days. Whether they’re red or pink, you’ve got plenty of tasty choices and you should take advantage of their cheap price… that’s what happens when the offer is bigger than the demand!

If you’re really into working hard, you should be canning your own tomatoes these days (if you’re Italian, you probably have a family day planned to do so). If you’re into cooking but don’t have that much time on your hands, than maybe you should be cooking something simple made with loads of tomatoes. That was my option last week when I was looking for something original and different to make with the ‘in season’ vegetable. So I made a tarte tatin, which is basically an upside down tart. Traditionally, it’s made with caramelized apples but you can also make it with other fruits and veggies. I chose to make it with ripe red tomatoes. Quite simple to prepare, it makes for an impressive dish. It does take a lot of cooking time but while the tomatoes are cooking, you can do a lot of other things around the house! There’s always a plus to slow cooking food!

On a sunny day (because we still have them in September), try this tart. Have it for lunch with a nice rosé wine. It’ll make you fully appreciate the end of a great summer.

TOMATO TARTE TATIN

Makes 6 servings

 

INGREDIENTS

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

10 big tomatoes

1 onion, thinly sliced

5 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

½ tsp sugar

Salt & pepper 

Black Pepper Pastry

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Pinch of salt

½ cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

About 3 tbsp cold water

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven at 300˚F.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Fill a large bowl with ices cubes and cold water. With a knife, cut a small X in the base of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and drop into the ice water to stop the cooking. Peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and seed them.

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt & pepper. Place on a 10-inch pie plate. Roast for about 2 ½ hours.

Black Pepper Pastry

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the flour, pepper and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the pieces are the size of peas. Add the water. Pulse again until the dough just begins to hold together, adding more water if necessary. Remove the dough and shape it into a disk with your hands.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough and cut a circle of 10-inch in diameter. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Lay the dough over the tomatoes, tucking the edges inside the pie plate. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Invert the tart onto a serving plate.

Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.