Tarte tatin of Dutch tomatoes
A classic apple tarte tatin is one of our favorite desserts because it’s so easy to make and always turns out well. The same story applies to a savory version: quick to prepare, few ingredients, but a high wow factor. We make ours with the juicy Dutch vine tomatoes from Looye Kwekers: the JOYN tomato.
Everyone is always talking about those juicy tomatoes that you can supposedly only find on holiday in Italy. Because that sun—we don’t have it here… What we do have in the Netherlands are greenhouses, where tomatoes grow that are at least as delicious. Even better: you can simply buy JOYN vine tomatoes at Albert Heijn, and they have a wonderfully soft and sweet flavor.
Tomato in the starring role
During a JOYN cooking day, I ate all kinds of dishes starring this tomato. Tomatoes stuffed with quinoa, tomato risotto, bruschetta, a salad with tomato, halloumi and blood orange, and a rice dish with tomatoes from the Big Green Egg. JOYN’s Dutch vine tomatoes are perfect in salads or for stuffing with all kinds of delicious ingredients. From Arabic to Italian, you can take them in any direction. I used the tomatoes I brought home to make this delicious tarte tatin. It makes a wonderful lunch, and with a simple salad or grilled green asparagus on the side, you have a satisfying dinner. Score!
Tarte tatin of Dutch tomatoes
The tomatoes have a wonderfully rich flavor, so you barely need to add any other ingredients. Just a little brown sugar and red wine vinegar to accentuate the tomato’s sweet and sour notes even more. Add some fresh herbs and voilà, you have a delicious tarte tatin. Arrange the tomatoes neatly in your tarte tatin dish, and you’re guaranteed plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ when you serve it.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Halve the tomatoes and remove the seed compartments. Melt the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and arrange the tomatoes in a single layer in the pan, skin-side down. Cover the pan and cook for approx. 5 minutes over low heat.
2. Remove the tomatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon and arrange them skin-side down in the tart dish. They may be packed closely together, as they will shrink further in the oven.
3. Cook the sugar and vinegar in a saucepan over low heat until syrupy. Pour the syrup over the tomatoes and sprinkle the thyme and/or oregano over them. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface. Cut out a circle approx. 26 centimetres in diameter. Place the puff pastry over the tomatoes and carefully tuck in the edges. Prick holes in the pastry with a fork.
5. Bake the tarte tatin in the oven for approx. 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Let it rest for approx. 10 minutes, then carefully loosen the tarte tatin from the edge of the dish. Invert the tarte tatin onto a plate or serving platter. Garnish with some extra finely chopped herbs, if desired, and serve.
This article was created in collaboration with Looye Kwekers.
