When I first told my husband that I was going to make a Tomato and Fennel Tart, he didn’t sound very enthusiastic. “What’s going to be in the tart- just tomatoes and fennel? That doesn’t sound very flavorful- can’t we have something else for dinner tonight?”
“Well, he’s right”, I thought. How can I add flavor to this recipe without turning it into a quiche, surrounding the ingredients with cream and eggs? So I set to work to turn this recipe into a flavor-loving pie and here’s what I did:
- Instead of placing plain sliced tomatoes on top of the tart, I first marinated them in a vinaigrette dressing. This made the tomatoes taste so good, I could eat them straight off the tart!
- After placing the dough onto the quiche pan, I brushed a thin layer of Dijon mustard on top. This boosts the flavor without adding a ‘mustardy’ taste.
- After adding the onions and fennel, I dusted the tart with some grated Parmesan and Feta cheese- flavor, flavor, flavor!
- Instead of using a frozen sheet of puff pastry, I made my own pastry from scratch. Using frozen pastry is perfectly acceptable, but homemade is even better!
You can use a standard 9-inch (23 cm) quiche pan for this tart or make several ‘tartlet’ quiches for individual servings.
The key to making a successful tart is to spend at least 10-15 minutes softening the sliced onions and fennel on the stovetop before adding them to the tart. Otherwise, fennel can be quite crunchy in texture if you don’t first soften it. I first ‘sweated’ the onions and fennel in some olive oil, then covered the pan with some parchment paper and simmered the veggies in a little water until soft and translucent.
To prepare the fennel bulbs, first cut the fronds from the bulb.
Then cut the bulb in half lengthwise and remove the ‘triangular’ piece from the bottom of the bulb. Then flatten the pieces and slice into thin pieces.
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- Remove the triangular piece from the bulb
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- Slice fennel into thin pieces
You will need a 9-inch (23 cm) quiche pan or several small 'tartlet' pans. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. (200 C). Thaw one sheet of frozen pastry while preparing the rest of the recipe. Prepare the vinaigrette marinade: mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard and thyme. Slice the tomatoes thinly, place them in a dish or pan and cover with the marinade; let tomatoes marinate for at least 30 minutes. Slice the onion in half through the root, then cut into thin slices. Remove the fronds from the fennel, slice the bulb in half vertically, then remove the ‘triangular’ piece at the bottom of the bulb. Flatten the fennel pieces then cut into thin sticks. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a fry pan, then cook the onions and fennel pieces together for several minutes over medium heat. Lower the heat, add the water and pinch of sugar, cover the pan with parchment paper and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the moisture evaporates and the vegetables soften. To assemble the tart, place the thawed puff pastry sheet over a tart pan with a removable bottom. Let the dough overhang the sides by about 1.5 inches. Press the pastry into the bottom and sides of the pan, then pass a rolling pin over the edges of the pan to trim away the dough. Brush the bottom of the dough with a thin layer of Dijon mustard. Spread the onion/fennel mixture over the bottom of the dough, then dust a thin layer of Parmesan cheese on top and add the Feta cheese. Arrange the marinated tomato slices on top of the tart and add a splash of olive oil (you could also sprinkle some of the tomato marinade on top of the tart). Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until the crust puffs up and is cooked through. If the edges of the puff pastry start to burn, lower the heat a little and cover the tart with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking. If the bottom of the tart is still soggy and under-cooked, try blind baking the crust first for 10 minutes before adding the filling.Tomato and Fennel Tart with Puff Pastry
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8 Comments
John / Kitchen Riffs
April 27, 2019 at 12:53 pmI really like the combo of fennel and tomato (and onion, of course, plays nicely with both). That Dijon coating on the crust sounds really nice. Wonderful dish — thanks.
David
April 29, 2019 at 12:14 amJust so you know, if you had suggested this to me for dinner, the only words out of my mouth would have been, “Yes, please!” Sounds amazing, Fran – similar in some ways to my Provençal tomato tart… but different! Oooh, that fennel!
All That I'm Eating
April 29, 2019 at 7:35 pmI absolutely adore fennel. This tart screams of summer and it looks so good! I could just go a slice!
mae
May 2, 2019 at 10:44 pmI first heard of the mustard-on-the-crust idea from Simca, who was Julia Child’s early coauthor and also wrote a great cookbook of her own. It really adds flavor! Your recipe sounds great.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
mimi rippee
May 2, 2019 at 11:44 pmwow! I love what you did! Really brilliant. Of course, my husband won’t eat anything pickled or marinated in vinegar, so I’ll just have to make this for myself!
Jean | Delightful Repast
May 3, 2019 at 12:14 amFran, I’m all over this! Pinning and will make soon. When my garden starts producing, I’ll make it with home-grown tomatoes.
Juliana
May 3, 2019 at 10:00 amWow Fran, what a lovely tart, I am loving the combination of fennel and tomatoes and the vinaigrette marinade…so elegant and spring look…thanks for the recipe. I hope you are having a great week!
lisaiscooking
May 6, 2019 at 5:18 amA layer of mustard in a savory tart is a great addition! Sounds delicious.