My Best Tomato Tarte Tatin ... In My Opinion.

As most of you have figured out, we love good food. So that means, we eat out quite often and gather around our table for home cooked meals as often as we can. I get ideas for dishes from a large collection of cookbooks, several cooking magazines and the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and New York Times Food sections.

The last eighteen months, Shirley and I have embarked on a mission to improve our health through a change in life style including riding bikes and a fish and plant based diet. We are not fanatics by any means, but we do eat less pasta and bread and desserts appear on our table less frequently. I have cut out red meat except for lamb occasionally when we are in the South of France.

We have enjoyed tomato tarte tatins on several occasions in Provence most recently a few weeks ago as part of a vegetarian tasting menu at Les Remparts in Venasque. After seeing a picture of a delicious looking tomato tarte tatin in a post by my friend Barbara from Cuisine de Provence, I decided I would try again to make one.

I say once again, because I made one several times a few years back and shared the recipe with all of you in a "Our House in Sablet" post. While the recipe I did then, was very tasty, I didn't think it was quite as good as the one at Les Remparts.

So I did a search of my cookbooks and on line and compared what I found to the tomato tarte tatin I made before. This is what I came up with.

Finished Tomato Tarte Tatin

I started by thinly slicing 3 medium red onions, then sautéing the onions in a skillet with 4 sliced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of butter and a pinch of crystallized sugar until caramelized, 10 - 15 minutes.

Sliced Red Onions

I cored and sliced 3 pounds of tomatoes, once Roma tomatoes and several times dry farmed Early Girls. I place them cut side up on rimmed baking sheet. Lightly salt and sprayed lightly with olive oil. Roasted the tomatoes for 2.5 hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Turned off oven and left in oven till it cooled completely. You can roast them the night before and leave them in the oven to cool overnight.

Cored and Halved Roma Tomatoes

I preheated the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven preheated, I prepared a light caramel sauce in a 12 inch cast iron skillet on the top of the stove with 1/2 cup crystallized sugar, 4 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon Sherry vinegar. I then arranged the tomatoes on top of the caramel sauce, face side down.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes Arranged in 12 Inch Cast Iron Pan

I sprinkled 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves evenly over the tomatoes.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes with Chopped Fresh Thyme

I arranged the caramelized onions evenly over the tomatoes and then sprinkled 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese over the onions.

Caramelized Red Onions Over Oven Roasted Tomatoes

I rolled out a puff pastry sheet into a 13 inch round. I use store bought frozen dough, that I thaw for a couple of hours before I am ready to roll it out. I like the Dufour brand.

Store Bought Puff Pastry Cut Into 13 Inch Round

I drape the dough over the cast iron skillet and tuck the edges down into pan. I cut slits in top of pastry.

Puff Pastry Laid Over Oven Roasted tomatoes and Onions

Baked for 25-30 minutes until crust is puffed and golden brown and delicious. Removed from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Golden Brown and Delicious Out of Oven

Placed large plate (larger than the cast iron skillet) on top of skillet. You have to carefully flip over. You can return any tomatoes that are stuck to skillet back to tarte tatin.

Flipped Over onto Serving Plate

This was so good. It was as good or better than the one we ate at Les Remparts.

Ingredients

3 pounds medium size tomatoes. On a couple of occasions, I used different color tomatoes.
3 medium red onions
4 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon chopped Thyme leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 ounces puff pastry. You will have extra. Freeze the leftover for another dish.
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup crystallized sugar
4 Tablespoons water
1/3 teaspoon Sherry vinegar

Directions

1. Thinly slice 3 medium onions.

2. Caramelize the onions with 4 sliced garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of butter and a pinch of crystallized sugar. 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Core tomatoes and slice in half. Place cut side down on rimmed baking sheet. Lightly salt and spray lightly with olive oil.

4. Roast tomatoes in 275 degree Fahrenheit oven for 2 1/2 hours. Cool completely. You can do this over night.

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

6. Prepare caramel in 12 inch cast iron pan with 1/2 cup crystallized sugar, 4 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon Sherry vinegar.

7. Arrange roasted tomatoes on top of caramel, face side down. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Thyme leaves over tomatoes.

8. Arrange caramelized onions evenly over tomatoes. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over onions.

9. Roll puff pastry sheet out and cut out 13 inch round and drape over cast iron skillet. Tuck edges of pastry into pan. Cut slits on top of pastry.

10. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until crust is puffed and golden brown and delicious.

11. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

12. Place large plate on top of skillet and carefully flip over. Return any tomatoes that are stuck to skillet back to tarte tatin.

You can serve warm or at room temperature. It is delicious the next day.

Bon appetit.

Tomato Tarte Tatin, Delicious for First Course or Light Lunch

A few weeks ago, we ate lunch at a lovely restaurant which offered an unusual, at least for France unusual, three-course vegetarian menu option. The choices looked so yummy, that most of us chose the vegetarian option. I will soon write a post about our visit to Venasque and lunch at Les Remparts. For now, I will say our starter of "Tarte Tatin aux Tomates" was to die for. It was so good!

When we got back to California, I was happy to see that there were lots of Roma tomatoes in the garden along with an abundant crop of Oregano. So I began a quest to duplicate that yummy tart by searching my collection of cookbooks, as well as online at Google and Pinterest. The recipe which follows draws from multiple sources. I hope you like it.

Michel's Tarte Tatin Aux Tomates with Arugula

In a large skillet, large enough to hold 2 3/4 pounds of Roma tomatoes, melt butter and sugar over medium heat until they caramelize like shown below. Just before you take it off the stove, add 2 finely diced garlic cloves. Don't let them burn.

Caramelized butter and sugar

Arrange the halved and seeded Roma tomatoes, cut sides up in your large skillet as shown below. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes release most of their juice.

Halved and seeded Roma tomatoes arranged on top of caramelized butter, sugar and garlic

Add balsamic vinegar and cook 2 minutes more. Arrange the tomatoes in an 11 or 12-inch tart pan with removable base, cut sides up. Spoon some of the juices from the pan over the tomatoes, there is a lot of flavor in the juices.

Cooked tomatoes in tart pan

Oregano from the garden

Sprinkle with Oregano, salt and pepper to taste.

Cooked tomatoes with fresh Oregano, salt and pepper, ready for pie pastry

Roll the pie pastry and with sharp knife or scissors, cut it into a 12-inch round. Place it on top of the tomatoes, tucking it in at the edges. With a fork, make small holes in the pastry.

Set the tart on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to a preheated oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Let the tart sit for 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven. Run a knife around the pastry to loosen it from the pan. Now if you have a fluted tart pan like me, don't worry about running a knife around the edge of the pan. It pulled away on its own while it was resting.

Set a large plate upside down on the tart and using pot holders, turn the plate right side up so the tart comes out. Garnish with oregano.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 finely diced garlic cloves
2 3/4 pounds Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Pie pastry for a 12-inch tart
Extra fresh Oregano for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Have on hand an 11 or 12-inch tart pan with removable base and a rimmed baking sheet.

2. In a large skillet of sufficient size to hold all the tomatoes, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cook it until it is fully dissolved. When it starts to caramelize, add the diced garlic. Take it off the heat.

3. Add the tomatoes and arrange them cut sides up in the skillet. Put back on the heat and lower the temperature and cook for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes release most of their juice.

4. Add the Balsamic vinegar and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.

5. Arrange the tomatoes in an 11 or 12-inch tart pan with removable base, cut sides up. Spoon some of the juices from the pan over the tomatoes.

6. Sprinkle with the Oregano and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Roll the pie pastry and with sharp knife or scissors, cut it into a 12-inch round. Place it on top of the cooked tomatoes, tucking it in at the edges. With a fork, make small holes in the pastry.

8. Set the tart on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to a preheated oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake the tart for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven.

9. Let the tart sit for 5 minutes after you take it out of the oven. Run a knife around the pastry to loosen it from the pan.

10. Set a large plate upside down on the tart and using pot holders, turn the plate right side up so the tart comes out. Garnish with oregano.

11. Cut the tart into wedges and garnish with oregano. Serve with dressed greens.

Bon appétit.