French Tomato Tart

French food done right by a very competent cook doesn’t get finer. A casual invitation to supper from a friend of a friend last night resulted in the most exquisite gastronomical meal I have had in a long time. The ambience, the warm cooling winds, the covered terrace with candlelight, the sparkling water in the pool, the heady fragrances of honeysuckle were all surpassed by the first and most delicious course; a French Tomato Tart. It came out on a platter surrounded by a flutter of thyme and a dusting of shredded basil leaves, if I had known how fabulous it was going to taste then I would have greeted it with a round of applause. Despite asking for the recipe, I left without knowing how to make it,  but I relished and noted every taste of every ingredient, all the better to replicate it. The recipe for this Tomato Tart is as close as I could get and I think it is pretty special. The secret appears to be the freshness and sweetness of the tomatoes you use and not to be shy about an abundance of garlic.

Please enjoy.

You will need:

1 pâte brisée (puff pastry) 6 large San Marzano or Roma tomatoes 3 onions thinly sliced 4 fat cloves of garlic minced 100g grated tasty cheese such as Parmesan/ Pecorino Romano/Comté/Gruyere/Cantal... 1 tbsp of coarse ground Dijon Mustard Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp of maple syrup/raw honey Oregano/herbes de Provence/Italian seasoning Olive oil or butter Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To start: 1. Unroll the pie crust and precisely fit it in a tart pan (28 cm/11 inches). Poke the dough all over with a fork. Then put the pie in the fridge. Preheat oven at 190°C/390°F gas mark 5. 2. Finely slice the tomatoes and put them on a large plate. Salt them lightly and set aside. This step will help to remove some juice from the tomatoes so the crust will not be too soggy. 3. Finely slice the onions, put them in a frying pan along with the minced garlic and olive oil/butter, salt, pepper, oregano and let it cook until soft. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a little bit of honey/maple syrup. Cook until the onions absorb all the vinegar and there is no juice. 4. Take your tart pan from the fridge. Spread Dijon mustard evenly all over the bottom. Sprinkle grated cheese on the mustard to your liking. Scatter the onions on the cheese. Slightly drain each tomato slice before placing them nicely on the tart. Sprinkle more grated cheese. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 25 - 30 minutes until the crust and the cheese are lightly golden.

Sprinkle with herbs once cooled.

Serve this delicious French Tomato Tart at room temperature with a green salad on the side.

You may even get applause...😋