Monday, October 1, 2007

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Capers, Olives, and Caramelized Onions


This is another recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table. It's SO GOOD; really one of the best things I've made in a long time. The original recipe called for anchovies, but I just added a few more capers and everything worked out fine.

Also, I, um, didn't have puff pastry on hand (and I couldn't go out and buy any because German stores are all closed on Sunday), so I whipped up a simple pizza dough with 1 1/2 cups flour. I'm partial to rectangular tarts, but of course you can make a round tart if you really want.

I also forgot to buy arugula, so I didn't make the salad that Suzanne Goin suggests. I made a balsamic reduction instead. (Boil balsamic vinegar until it is reduced by half, but not more, or else it will taste burnt.) But arugula salad would go really, really well, so make that to go with this!


Unfortunately it was night by the time I finished this, so the pictures are blurry and dark. Oh well.

Tomato Tart with Capers, Olives, and Caramelized Onions (makes 2-3 main dish servings or 6 appetizer portions)

1 tbsp olive oil
6 cups thinly sliced onions (6 onions)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or add 1 tsp dry)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
soymilk for brushing said pastry
3 medium heirloom tomatoes, mixed colors
4 tsp capers
1/4 cups Nicoise olives, pitted and cut in half
basil leaves for garnish

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the onions, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and some pepper. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Turn the head down to medium and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the onions are a deep golden brown. Let cook completely before you made the tart, so they don't melt the pastry.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Place the defrosted puff pastry on a parchment lines baking sheet. Use a paring knife to score an 1/4 inch thick border around the edge of the pastry. Brush the border with soymilk, and spread the carmelized onions evenly within the border.

Core the tomatoes. Hold each tomato on its side and slice it into 1/4 inch thick round slices. Place the tomato slices, just touching but not overlapping, on top of the caramelized onions. If necessary, cut some of the slices in half so they fit, placing the cut side of the slices flush with the border. Season the tomatoes with salt a a few grindings of black pepper.

Arrange the olives and capers over the tomatoes and onions.

Bake the tart 10 minutes. Turn the sheet pan, and bake another 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown.

Garnish with the basil leaves to serve.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

ALL stores in Germany are closed on Sunday?! That is certainly very inconvenient! I would say that you made out well, though--it looks amazing!

Courtney

Brownbird Rudy Relic said...

I like the pizza dough save! Wow! That looks tasty! Heirloom Tomatoes rule!

bazu said...

How gorgeous! I love the sound of this, and I just got a new jar of capers so I'm good to go.

See, this is another reason I hate the end of summer- it gets dark so early, and I hate taking photos of food in the dark! :-/

Pink Theory said...

I just found your blog...this looks sooo yummy! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

oooh, this tart looks absolutely delightful!! heirloom tomatoes are incredible - I wish they could be in season here longer :0( I love the mix of flavors with the onions, capers and tomatoes; and your pizza dough sounds like a great substitution for the puff pastry! wow, that certainly IS rather inconvenient that stores in Germany are closed on Sundays...

sulu-design said...

We are SO having this, followed by the plum cake you posted earlier, for dinner next week. My husband thanks you.

vko said...

So gorgeous! Sounds like you are cooking & eating well in Germany.

madeinalaska said...

those tomatoes look absolutely divine!!
Julee

urban vegan said...

That looks truly amazing...so young, you are, and such an accomplished chef.