Vegetable Tatin With Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Baby Potatoes & Goat Cheese

In the world of savory tarts, this is one of the best I have ever tasted. Oven roasted tomatoes, baby potatoes, onion, goat cheese and oregano are placed in a cake pan, preceded by a light smattering of caramelized butter and sugar. The pan is finished with a layer of puff pastry and a visit in the oven for 40 minutes. Following a few minutes of cooling, this lovely pie is inverted onto a plate and {voila!} a unique and delicious meal appears right before your eyes. I paired this with a mixed green salad and served 6 portions instead of 4 for a fairly light {surprisingly} lunch. The great thing about this recipe is that you can assemble it a day in advance, refrigerate it and bake it the next day. 

Vegetable Tatin With Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Baby Potatoes & Goat Cheese

1 c + 1/2 c cherry tomatoes, cut in half

2 T of olive oil, plus more for drizzling

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb baby, new, or fingerling potatoes, skin on

1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

3 T sugar

2 t butter

3 sprigs of oregano

5 oz goat cheese

1 puff pastry sheet, rolled thinly

To prep the vegetables:

- Preheat the oven to to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the tomatoes in a single layer, skin side down.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes. 

- Meanwhile cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20-25 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain and let cool.  Trim off a little bit of each end and then slice into 1" discs.

- Saute the onion with some olive oil and salt over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

To assemble the tart:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

- Spray the sides and bottom of a 9" cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper. 

- Over high heat, cook butter and sugar in a small pan, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until you get a nice caramel color. Remove from heat and immediately transfer to the cake pan, tilting the pan back and forth the pan for even coating. {Important - be sure to stop cooking the butter and sugar when it is still spreadable - you do not want a hard, sticky caramel consistency}. 

- Scatter oregano leaves over the caramel.

- Place the potatoes, cut side down, in the cake pan. Gently press onions and tomatoes into the gaps of the potatoes and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dot goat cheese over the potatoes. 

- Cut the puff pastry into a disc 1" larger than the cake pan. Lay the pastry over the cake pan and tuck the edges down around the potatoes inside the pan.

To bake the tart:

Place in oven and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 15 additional minutes, or until the pastry is thoroughly cooked.

Remove tart from the oven and let cook for 2 minutes.Carefully invert the tart to a serving plate and cut into 4 to 6 pieces.

Serves 4 to 6.

Source: Adapted from Plenty, Ottolenghi