With this year’s slow start to spring, local vegetable crops may be lagging but herbs are booming.
Of all the culinary herbs, thyme is one of the widest used. From Middle Eastern cuisines to Mediterranean recipes and Francophile dishes, thyme serves as a bright spot at dining tables. While dried is more convenient, fresh is more flavorful. This dish is a perfect complement to a soup or salad meal or as a pre-dinner nibble.
Seattle cookbook author and television personality Amy Pennington suggests using premade frozen puff pastry as a time-saver.
Onion-Thyme Tart
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 yellow onions, cut into thin half moons
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped, divided
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted and kept cool
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and stir continuously until softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the salt and continue stirring. The onions will release their moisture and your saute pan will become more and more dry. Keep turning them every few minutes.
3. Add half of the thyme and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook onions for about 30 to 40 minutes, until caramelized and golden. If they start to burn, reduce the heat to low.
4. Remove caramelized onions from the heat and set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange puff pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Scatter the top evenly with the onions.
6. Bake on the center oven rack for 25 to 35 minutes, until the puff is golden brown and flaky.
7. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining thyme over the top, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into small squares for serving.
Any leftover tart can be kept at room temperature, lightly covered with parchment. They are best served the next day. Crisp them up in an oven.
Recipe courtesy of Amy Pennington, from her book “Urban Pantry,” published by Skipstone, 2010.
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