Provencal Tomato Gratin Recipes

PROVENCAL TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Cut the cores from the tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and, with your fingers, remove the seeds and juice. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish.
• In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, scallions, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the tomato halves generously with salt and pepper. With your hands, fill the cavities and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture. Bake the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until they're tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 seconds more. Serve hot or at room temperature.

JULIA CHILD'S PROVENçAL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and place a rack at the middle level. In a large saucepan, combine onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to coat over low heat. Sprinkle lightly with salt. At a gentle simmer, cook uncovered until onions are softened and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary. When done, fold in tomatoes just until heated through. Set aside.
• In a small food processor or a mortar, add the anchovies - anywhere from 6 to 12 fillets, depending on their size and your taste. Add garlic, herbs and a dozen grinds of pepper. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil (or use the oil from the anchovy can, if you like). Crush or pulse together into a chunky paste, thinning with oil as needed to make a loose, fluid mixture.
• In a medium-size baking dish, spread a quarter of the onion-tomato mixture. On top, arrange half the potato slices, then half the anchovy mixture. Add half the remaining onion-tomato mixture. Build one more layer with remaining potato slices, anchovy mixture and onion-tomato mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top and drizzle with olive oil.
• If the dish is very full, place on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, uncovered, until potatoes are tender and have absorbed all of the juices in the bottom of the dish, 40 to 50 minutes. Test by tasting a bit of potato; it should be soft all the way through, with no raw taste. If the top is browning too fast, cover very loosely with a sheet of foil. If the top is not brown enough when the potatoes are cooked, broil briefly until deliciously glazed.
• Serve gratin hot or warm. Can be cooled and reheated later the same day, but do not refrigerate.

PROVENCAL TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the garlic, thyme and parsley. Place half of the tomato slices in overlapping layers in a 10-inch quiche dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the garlic-herb mixture. Top with half of the olives and half of the goat cheese.
• Repeat the layers. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Divide among 4 plates and serve immediately.

PROVENCAL TOMATO POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
• Brush a shallow baking pan (1/2 to 1 inch deep) with 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange tomato slices in 1 layer in baking pan and sprinkle with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast tomatoes until just tender (not falling apart), about 20 minutes.
• While tomatoes roast, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and toss with 5 tablespoons oil in a large bowl.
• Remove tomatoes from oven and put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Arrange potato slices in 1 layer in 2 shallow baking pans (1/2 to 1 inch deep) and sprinkle each pan with a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast potatoes, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender, about 16 minutes total.
• While potatoes roast, mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer paste to a bowl and stir in bread crumbs, basil, thyme, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Preheat broiler.
• Arrange tomatoes and potatoes in 1 layer in gratin dish, alternating slices and overlapping them, and spoon any juices from tomatoes into dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs and broil 5 to 7 inches from heat, checking frequently after 1 minute (crumbs can brown quickly), until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PROVENCAL CHERRY TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
• Place the tomatoes in a 9 x 13-inch ceramic dish. Add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss together. Spread the tomatoes evenly in the pan.
• Place the garlic, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the bread cubes and process until the bread is in crumbs. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse a few times to blend. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the tomatoes.
• Bake the gratin for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the tomato juices are bubbling. Serve hot or warm.

SMASHED-POTATO TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• In a 4-quart heavy kettle cover potatoes with salted cold water by 2 inches and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. While potatoes are simmering, in a small saucepan heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until butter is melted. Remove pan from heat and keep mixture warm, covered. Pit olives and separately chop olives and scallions. In a colander drain potatoes and when just cool enough to handle, peel. Coarsely smash potatoes with a potato masher and gently fold in milk mixture, olives, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter a 3-quart gratin dish (about 15 by 10 by 2 inches).
• Mince garlic and chop parsley. In a nonstick skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and cook garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool. Stir in parsley and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Spread potatoes in gratin dish and top with tomatoes, overlapping them to completely cover potatoes. Sprinkle crumb mixture over tomatoes and bake gratin in middle of oven until top is golden brown and tomatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Gratin may be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered. Reheat gratin, uncovered.