Mysteriously, since the vegetarian kick resumed last summer, several friends have become converts. How, you ask?
We're actually not sure but at a recent Sur La Table cooking class (strongly recommended), the menu was (shockingly) all vegetarian. And delicious, I might add. Not a single friend with carnivorous intentions was dismayed at the evening's dishes. (Maybe because we didn't have to do the cleaning up part?)
Just check out this vegetarian recipe for a Provençal-style tart. It's actually shockingly easy to make. Our off-dry Riesling pairing was a huge hit, too.
(So much so our instructor kept talking about her famous lov-ahs. Wink, wink.)
Provençal Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Olive Tart
Serves 4 as a light main course,
6-8 as an appetizer
1 sheet (9 ounces) frozen puff
pastry, thawed (keep refrigerated until ready to use)
1 pound
(about 4) Vidalia or yellow onions, cut into ¼-inch thick lengthwise slices (about 4 cups sliced)
1 tablespoons
butter
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
and freshly ground black pepper
1 teasp fresh
rosemary leaves, plus extra tiny sprigs for garnishing
2 sprigs
fresh thyme, plus more for serving
4 ounces
Gruyere cheese, finely grated
6-8 kalamata
or good black olives, pitted halved
Fleur de sel
for sprinkling on top
Preheat oven to 400F Line an unrimmed
baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
To make the onion filling, heat a
large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and butter and heat until butter
foams. When foaming subsides, add the sliced onions and a pinch of fine sea
salt, and toss to coat.
Add thyme sprigs and reduce heat to
low. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized: they
should be very soft and a deep golden brown, about 35 to 45 minutes. You may
need to add a bit of water to prevent sticking.
While the filling cooks, roll the puff
pastry on a lightly floured board to an 11-inch square. Lift it gently onto the
prepared baking sheet, then prick the dough in several places with a fork (but
not the rim). Refrigerate until ready to assemble the tart.
Once the onions are caramelized, remove
the skillet from the heat, discard thyme sprigs and add the rosemary. Stir in the
grated cheese and mix well to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper,
then leave to cool until luke warm, at least 15 minutes.
Distribute the onion mixture evenly
over the pastry and arrange olives evenly on top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is
golden on top and underneath al the way to the center (lift up to check.)
Transfer the tart to a cutting board,
scatter with the extra rosemary sprigs and garnish with sprigs of thyme. Serve
warm cut into squares.
