Makes: One (10-inch/25 cm) tart
You might have heard of a famous French dish called tarte Tatin—an upside-down caramelised apple tart. Here we’re using the same idea to make a savoury tart inspired by a dish I enjoyed at the Auberge de Fourcès in Southwest France. It’s best to make this in the summer when tomatoes are at their ripest, but even if you make it when tomatoes are not in season, roasting them gives a lot of flavor without much effort. Pair it with a green salad for a perfect light lunch! In this recipe, you can use store-bought pastry which really makes it a great option for a quick lunch or dinner with a bit of “wow” factor!
Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 small aubergine, thinly sliced
- 2 medium courgettes, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or dried thyme
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 roll (approx 8oz, 225g) store-bought puff pastry, thawed but chilled
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2Place the tomato, aubergine and courgette slices in one layer on the baking trays. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables and season with the Herbes de Provence or thyme, salt and pepper.
3Roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes. They will be starting to soften but still a little firm. Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
4Lightly oil a nonstick 10-inch (25 cm) tart pan, preferably one with a fixed bottom, and line a third baking tray with parchment paper.
5 Carefully remove the vegetables from the baking trays and place them evenly and snugly into the tart pan. Let them overlap, because they will shrink when they cook. You can choose to make a pattern or layer them randomly in the pan. Just make sure the entire bottom of the pan is covered.
6Unroll the pastry and cover the vegetables. Trim if necessary and carefully tuck the edges of the pastry in under the vegetables. Use a small, sharp knife to poke a few holes in the pastry to allow the steam to escape.
7Place the tart pan on the prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. The pastry will have browned a little on top.
8Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes on a wire rack. Place a plate larger than the tart pan over the top of the pan. Carefully flip the pan over, gripping the sides of the plate and the tart pan with a tea towel and both hands. Be fast but careful as you flip. If some of your vegetables have stuck to the bottom of the pan, remove them now and replace them on top of the tart (don’t worry, it’s normal for a few pieces to stick).
9 Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and warmed in a low oven (300˚F/ 150˚C) for about 15 minutes.
About the author
Mardi Michels is the author of In the French kitchen with kids (Appetite by Random House, 2018) and the popular blog eatlivetravelwrite.com. She lives in Toronto, Canada, where she teaches French and cooking at the elementary school level and adult cooking and baking classes. She is a full-time Francophile who spends as much time in France (the Southwest) as possible!
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