This tart is exceptionally easy to make and can be varied depending on what you have on hand. For example my mom recently substituted artichoke hearts for the olive tapenade and said it was delicious. This tart makes easy work of getting through all those tomatoes you're growing or for a quick dish for company, as it just was for my mother-in-law Teri and her friend Deborah.
If you are like me and the last time you ate okra was when you were a kid and it was slimy and stringy and your whole adult life you’ve truly believed you hate it... please, oh please try it again. Pan frying it on the cut side gives it some crunch without deep-frying. These dishes make a full dinner for 2 or can be a dinner for 4 with a big salad and maybe some nice bread. The tart is great for brunch and at room temperature also.
Summer Tomato Tart with Thyme
serves 2 well or 4 as a side
1 pie shell thawed
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes or 3 cups (use the ripest tomatoes available to you*)
1 medium-large Vidalia onion sliced into long strips
2 cloves of garlic finely minced
3-4 tbsp olive tapenade (this is like an olive pesto and has a distinct flavor and I love it but you can use a fresh pesto if you feel frisky and have some on hand)
3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves pulled from their stems
parmesan for shaving
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you have tart pan with a removable bottom, simply press the dough in because it’s very pretty. If you don’t, just bake it in the pan it came in. Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cooked to a light golden brown (this is the only time it will cook so make sure it’s nice and golden). Spread the olive tapenade or pesto onto the inside of the crust.
2. Meanwhile, add your onions and 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat and sauté until nicely golden, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme at the end and sauté for another minute. Reserve. Add the tomatoes to the same pan and sauté until they start to pop and release some of their juice, about 5 minutes. Stir the onion mixture into the tomatoes. Season with fresh ground black pepper. Be careful with your salt. If the tapenade is salty, that’s all you’ll need.
3. Dump all the goodness of the pan into the pie/tart and place under the broiler until it starts to bubble and char slightly (see the picture above). Remove and top with shavings of parmesan (use a vegetable peeler for nice big shavings). enjoy!
Pan Fried Okra with Garlic
4 whole okra per person split down the middle lengthwise
3 tbsp finely minced garlic
1. Heat your pan over medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil until it gets really hot and starts to smoke slightly . No teflon please- go get yourself a nice cast iron skillet. Thanks to David (perhaps my biggest culinary supporter*) for the beautifully seasoned pan you see in the picture.
2. Place okra in the pan cut side down and just leave them alone for at least 5 minutes. Check to see if they’re browning nicely. You want a great little crust. When you see this, add the garlic and flip and toss for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.
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