Tomato tarte tatin

Today in Joburg it hit 24*C, yes can you believe it, the end is nigh. It's heaven; sitting outside, glass of wine in hand, watching the sunset, celebrating the almost, ever-so-close, can-almost-smell-it end of winter.

In celebration I made one of my very favourite favourites: a tomato tarte tatin. It's the most wonderful combination of crisp pastry, sweet, juicy tomatoes, rich cheese and fresh herbs. It's a great first-impression maker as it's eye-rollingly devastating at a luncheon with the 'dearests' and the 'dahlings', the 'dahlings' will struggle terribly to say 'tarte tatin' and the 'dearests' will think you've spent far longer on it than you actually have. A Mother-in-law's-match-made-in-heaven.

Tomato tarte tatin with goat’s cheese and rocket

Ingredients: (serves 4 as a main/6-8 as a starter)

• 1 packet readymade puff pastry
• 400g cherry/rosa tomatoes
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• Pinch Salt and pepper
• 50g chevlin goat’s cheese/Danish feta
• 1 small packet wild/normal rocket
• 2 tbsp balsamic
• 2 tbsp Olive oil

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200*C.
• Place either an oven-proof frying pan or a non-stick frying pan on med-high heat.
• Put sugar and butter in the pan and stir until sugar is dissolved then pop in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, tossing continuously to coat in the syrup. Remove from the stove and sprinkle oven salt and pepper. (If you aren’t using an oven-proof frying pan you will need to transfer the tomatoes and syrup to a greased 20-25cm round baking tin.)
• Take the sheet of puff pastry and cut into a circle slightly larger than the pan/tin. Place the pastry over the pan/tin and tuck the edges around the outside of the tomatoes and prick the centre with a fork.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned, carefully remove from the oven and place a large plate on top of the pan/tin, and, using oven gloves and some confidence, hold the plate and pan/tin tightly together and flip over. Remove the pan/tin to reveal a gorgeous, sumptuous tomato tarte tatin. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• To serve: Mix the olive oil and balsamic in a small bowl and coat the wild rocket generously in this dressing, decorate the tarte with goat’s cheese/Danish feta and top with the rocket.