A quick tart of buttery breadcrumbs, kissed with tomato juice and caramelized onions, is just the thing for these sunny in-between days. As the weather cools and your bounty changes, replace the top layer with whatever you fancy for a no-fuss vegetable tart that’s always in season.
Red Gratin
For the filling:
2 peppers, thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil
For the tart shell:
2 to 4 slices white bread (or 2 cups of breadcrumbs)
1 clove garlic, minced
zest of 1 lemon
1 glug olive oil
For the topping:
2 large height-of-season tomatoes
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
3 springs thyme
2 ounces parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Heat a pan with the olive oil and saute the peppers and onions until they're all soft and slightly caramelized (this will take a while).
- Meanwhile make the tart shell by whirling the bread (or breadcrumbs) in a food processor with the garlic, zest and olive oil, until the mixture is nothing but crumbs.
- Layer most of the breadcrumb mixture into a deep pie plate. Add the onion and pepper mixture. Now slice a couple of hefty tomatoes into half-inch slices, cut them in half, and fit them in a single layer on top of the onion-pepper mixture. Add salt, pepper and a good handful of chopped thyme. Grate the parmesan cheese on top, generously.
- Top with the remaining breadcrumbs and bake for about 40 minutes until it has all slumped together, and the topping is golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
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