Cherry Tomato Tarte Tatin from Sweet Laurel

The high priestess of dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free baking has expanded her repertoire of recipes in the form of her new cookbook, Sweet Laurel Savory: Everyday Decadence for Whole-Food, Grain-Free Meals. Her latest canon applies the same principle introduced in the Sweet Laurel Cookbook — delicious simplicity (rather than restriction) — just this time to the world of savory baking and cooking, including breads, pizza, pastas, quiches, pot pies, and bowls.

If you are looking to feast this July 4th but in a way that doesn’t leave you in a food coma before the fireworks even start, we highly suggest checking out the Tomato Tarte Tatin recipe.

We’ll also be borrowing from her ‘Appetizers, Sides, and Dips’ chapter, and no doubt will be whipping up her Sweet Potato and Spinach Empanadas, Caramelized Lemon Broccoli Salad, and Mac and Cheese with Rustic Croutons for our loved ones. If you’re also feeling the Sweet Laurel Savory craving, check out the recipe below or you can purchase her cookbook here.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 pints organic cherry tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed, organic olive oil
• 2 organic fennel bulbs, stalks removed, and bulbs sliced
• 3 organic garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon grated organic nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Arrowroot powder, for dusting

For the Dough:

• 1¼ cups organic almond flour
• 1 cup arrowroot powder, plus more for dusting
• ½ cup organic cassava flour
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ½ cup unsalted organic ghee or organic melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons hot water (110º to 120ºF)
• 1 hormone-free, pastured egg

Directions:

1. Make your dough; in a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, arrowroot, cassava flour, and salt until combined.
2. In a food processor, combine the flour mixture, melted ghee, and hot water and process until fully incorporated. Add the egg and pulse just until a dough begins to form. The dough should be moist to the touch but not sticky or wet.
3. Place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat surface and sprinkle it with arrowroot. Turn out the dough onto the parchment. Pat the dough into a ball, then flatten the ball into a ½-inch-thick disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 5 days before using, or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough in the fridge overnight before using in any tart recipe.
4. Time for the tarte! Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
5. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes, or until softened and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 375ºF.
6. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the fennel and cook for 5 minutes, until the fennel is starting to brown. Add the garlic, nutmeg, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes more, until the fennel is tender. Remove the skillet from the heat.
7. Lightly coat a 9-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. Arrange the roasted cherry tomatoes in the skillet in an even layer, being careful not to overlap them. Arrange the fennel mixture over the tomatoes.
8. Place the tart dough on a sheet of parchment paper. Lightly dust the top of the dough with arrowroot and place another sheet of parchment on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a round about ⅛ inch thick, sprinkling with more arrowroot as needed to prevent sticking. Trim the dough so the round is a little bigger than the top of the skillet. Place the dough over the tomatoes and gently tuck the edges inside the pan.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Run a knife around the edge, then invert the tart onto a serving tray. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Laurel Gallucci is the baking master and co-founder of Sweet Laurel Bakery, LA’s grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free bakery. When she was diagnosed with an aggressive autoimmune disorder, Laurel turned to healing through food. After seeing a dramatic change in her health after removing grains, legumes, refined sugar, and dairy, she began to bake treats for friends and family using ingredients she could eat. Sweet Laurel’s offerings and recipes are her results. Today, customers can order Sweet Laurel’s cakes online, visit their brick-and-mortar location in Los Angeles, or bake from the Sweet Laurel Cookbook, Sweet Laurel Savory, or blog.