Tarte Tatin a la Tomate

Tarte Tatin a la Tomate

from a

Provençal Birthday Lunch

Tart Tatin a la Tomate

2 pounds Roma tomatoes

extra virgin olive oil

fine sea salt and ground pepper

herbs de provence (mix of rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme)

1/4 cup black olive tapenade

6 ounces fresh goat cheese

1 puff pastry sheet or 1 recipe pate brisee (french pastry dough) or ready made pie dough (I used puff pastry)

several basil leaves, torn or chiffonade 

Preheat oven to 350° and grease 10 inch ceramic or glass pie pan with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil.

Halve tomatoes length wise, core them, and use a spoon or your fingers to remove seeds and juice. Arrange in pan, skin side down, in a circular pattern. You can crowd them a little, they will shrink as they bake. Season with salt, pepper, herbs and a good drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes until softened. Remove from oven, but keep heat on.

Roll out the dough in an 11 inch circle (I kept the puff pastry in a rectangle and just pushed the corners in when I draped it on the tart) and prick all over with a fork. Spread with tapenade, leaving a one inch margin all around.

Crumble the cheese all over each tomato half in the pan. Lay the dough, tapenade side down, on the cheese, and tuck in the overhanging flaps of dough. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the crust is golden. 

Just before serving, snip or tear the basil leaves and sprinkle over tart. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from Clotilde Dusoulier, Chocolate and Zucchini Cookbook.