By Barbra Austin

Here is a savory tart that will take you to the South of France. The base is a mass of caramelized onions, cooked slowly with thyme and bay. Thinly sliced tomatoes, a young goat cheese and plenty of fresh herbs complete the package.

I did a rustic, free-form tart, but you can use a baking pan if you’d like. In fact, you can make the tart any size or shape you’d like. I used a pâte brisée, but ultimately you can use whatever pastry you prefer. If you do a free-form shell, leave a border of about two inches to fold over the filling.

It’s important that the onions aren’t too juicy. The crust should turn out crisp, so drain the onions of any liquid before putting them in the pastry. The same idea applies to the tomatoes, so slice them thinly and don’t add too many. Beyond that, there aren’t too many rules. You can use whatever herbs you like, and any good melting cheese will do if you don’t like chèvre.

This tart is best enjoyed the day it is made, preferably while sitting outside with a glass of cold rosé.

Tomato and Onion Tart

Serves 6.

A 9- or 10-inch tart shell, unbaked, or about 10 ounces (280 grams) of pastry of your choice, rolled to a 14-inch circle
4 tablespoons olive oil, with more for drizzling
6 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3–4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 large tomato or 2 small ones, thinly sliced
6–8 ounces (170–225 grams) fresh goat cheese, sliced or crumbled
2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, tarragon, marjoram or oregano would be good)

1. Put the onions, garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaf in a wide, shallow pan with the olive oil, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are very soft and caramelized, for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour, depending on the onions. Reduce the heat if they start to brown too much before they are soft, and don’t rush them. Season well with salt and pepper, and cool completely before filling the tart shell.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. If making a free-form tart, transfer the rolled pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Drain the cooled onions of any excess juice, remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and spread the onions in the bottom of the tart shell. If making a free-form tart, spread the onions into a circle on the pastry, leaving a two-inch border.

4. Arrange the tomatoes and goat cheese over the onions, and top with the herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.

5. To make a free-form tart, fold the edges of the dough up around the filling in a series of pleats, gently pressing the dough to seal each fold. If the dough is very soft at this point, transfer the tart to the fridge to firm it up for several minutes before baking.

6. Bake the tart for about 30 minutes—until the pastry is done, the tomatoes are cooked and the cheese is melted and browned.

Serve this tart warm or at room temperature the day it is made.

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