Yes, this is indeed a tomato dessert. I’ve chosen to dust off this recipe adapted from a 2010 issue of Bon Appetit because I wanted to pay tribute to my last batch of frozen 2017 tomatoes. This recipe works equally well with fresh plum tomatoes.
Serves 6 to 8
8 frozen plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed, corners cut off to make very rough 9- to 10-inch round
Lightly sweetened crème fraîche
Place the frozen tomatoes in a bowl of room-temperature water to loosen their skins, which should then slide right off. Cut the tomatoes in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds, and set prepared tomatoes aside.
Spread the butter over the bottom of a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle the sugar over the butter. Arrange the tomato halves, rounded side down and close together, in concentric circles in the skillet to fill completely.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the skillet over medium heat. Cook until the sugar and butter are reduced to thickly bubbling, deep amber syrup, about 25 minutes. Move the tomatoes occasionally to prevent them from burning. Remove the skillet from the heat. Immediately drizzle the vanilla and sprinkle the thyme over the tomatoes. Top with the pastry round. Using a knife, tuck in the edges of the pastry. Cut 2 or 3 small slits in the pastry. Place the skillet in oven and bake tart until pastry is deep golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Cool the tart in the skillet for 10 minutes. Cut around the sides of the skillet to loosen the pastry. Place a large platter over the skillet, then invert the tart and carefully lift off skillet. Serve the tart warm or at room temperature with crème fraîche.
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