We finally have some tomatoes ripening in our garden and this Tomato Tarte Tatin is one of my favorite things to make for a light summer meal. Unfortunately, there was not quite enough tomatoes ready in the garden, so I had to add some from the market.

emptied tomatoes

Emptied tomatoes (Photo© France Just For You)

 

This recipe feeds about 8 people. I like to serve it with a simple green salad with garlic croutons and a crisp and cold white wine from the Mâcon area.

Ingredients:

  • 12 medium sized tomatoes, cut into halves and emptied
  • 5 tablespoons of tapenade, preferably made from black olives, but green will work too
  • Olive oil
  • Pâte brisée (pie crust) – I just buy one from the supermarket
  • Herbes de Provence
  • Salt and pepper
  • Optional: ¾ cup goat’s cheese and a handful of basil leaves

 

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and grease the bottom of a round quiche-style dish with olive oil.
  • Place the emptied, halved tomatoes, skin side down, in a circle filling the dish. You can sort of squeeze in the tomatoes because they will shrink a little while cooking.
  • Top the tomatoes with salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and a good drizzling of olive oil. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, until tender, then take out, but do not turn off the oven.
  • Spread the tapenade on the crust to about 1 inch from the edges. Delicately place the crust over the tomatoes, tapenade side towards the tomatoes, and tuck the edges down towards the tomatoes.

 

Tapenade on a crust

 

  • Place in the oven for 30–40 minutes, until the crust is cooked and golden.
  • Let the tarte cool off a little, take a knife to light loosen the edges, then flip the tarte over onto a service platter.
  • If you’d like, you can crumble the goat’s cheese and basil on top, or serve as is. The tarte can be served warm or at room temperature.

Tomato tarte tatin

Laura with her homemade tomato tarte tatin (Photo© France Just For You)

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Carol
We have just returned from a road trip around France and with Emilie's help, we had one of the best trips we've ever had. We travel extensively and I normally do my own research and bookings because we don't like using formal , organised tours and we were looking for advice on self driving holidays in France. Emilie's attention to detail is …
Tony
The organisation and friendliness of the places we stayed was outstanding. We travel a lot and this was a delightful experience that we can't wait to do again. I could not recommend more highly the professionalism in the booklets which are a long term reminder of a most memorable time. We travelled from NZ a long way for just two weeks but it was …
The C. family
Emilie and Guillaume: I want to send you this special thank you for making this trip truly spectacular! Our time in France was memorable precisely because of the people we've met, and the unique experiences we've had. We owe that all to you. There's no way that we ever would have been able to find the bed and breakfasts that you booked for us. And …
Cathy
France Just For You planned the trip of a lifetime for my husband and me. We traveled to Normandy, St. Saint Michele, the Loire Valley and Provence. We are typically not road trip travelers, but this adventure brought us closer to the wonderful people of France than any group tour or "drop and plop" vacation could ever do. The bed and breakfasts …
Cynthia
We enjoy drive yourself travel and located Emilie's France Just For You online. How fortunate we were. In September and early October we traveled 17 days in Loire, Bordeaux, Dordogne, Carcassonne and Provence. All the accommodations were in historic B&Bs. Our hosts were invariably gracious and helpful. At every stop Emilie included a home cooked …
Kris & Kristina
Thank you so much Emilie for all your hard work on our anniversary trip to St. Emilion and the Loire Valley! We had such a great time and everything you planned for us was just perfect. Having traveled to Paris and Nice many times, this was our first time exploring the countryside and we had a blast. We cannot thank you enough for everything! Kris …