Everybody Loves a Tart

Since I was down in D.C. a few weeks ago, I got to partake in dadgansie’s endless bounty of green tomatoes. Mmmm.

This savory tart (torte?) was inspired by gansie’s tomato bake. Of course, I had to add in the three p’s that rule my life: pine nuts, pastry and parm. (sorry Phyllo, I went with the easier puff pastry this time, and besides, your p. is tenuous given its silence.)

Now, even though this is a tart, I didn’t want the tomatoes to be tart, so I caramelized them with brown sugar (I got some inspiration/instruction from Gary Rhodes). This worked well in the deliciousness department, although it unfortunately left dadgansie’s beautiful greens a less-than-appetizing brown. I covered my tracks by throwing on some red (non-caramelized) tomatoes and covering the tart with enough pine and parm to drown a cat.

Recipe after the j.

Caramelized Green Tomato Tart

– Slice one white onion, and in a saute pan, fry it on medium-low in a whole lotta butta. (choose your own amount of poison, but this is def measured in tablespoons.)

– Cook the onions on low for about 15 minutes, and then add in a T of brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Make sure to keep your heat low enough that the butter doesn’t start burning. Cook about 5 minutes more.

– Meanwhile, slice 4-5 green tomatoes and repeat the same process in a separate saute pan. Fry them up in butter, then add the brown sugar and cook a few minutes longer.

– Melt a T of butter and use it to grease a glass baking dish or deep cookie sheet.

– Spread one layer of puff pastry dough across the bottom of the pan and brush the pastry with remaining melted butter (last use of butter, I promise.)

– Spread the onions evenly across the pastry, then the green tomatoes on top of that.

– Slice 1-2 red tomatoes and arrange those over the onions/green ts.

– Thinly slice 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and layer it on top.

– Stick it in at 375 for 20 minutes-ish, until the pastry is just golden.

– Meanwhile, crush up one cup of pine nuts and grate some more parm. Add these on top of the tart and bake for another 10 mins.