Root Veggie Tarte Tatin

A tarte tatin is really an upside down tart. On Wikipedia I found a story that centered around a hotel that was run by 2 sisters, and as fate would have it their last name was Tatin. One day the older sister; the one that did most of the cooking make a mistake. She had started an apple pie but had overcooked the apples. Desperately she tried to rescue the dish by adding the pastry dough to the top of the pan and baked the entire “pie” in the oven. After baking she turned the tart out upside down…… and as the story goes the guests loved it. Fiction or not I like to believe this is what really happened even though no recipes were actually written by either of the sisters.

This tarte tatin was a wonderful surprise. It’s a comforting dish that is both sweet and savory. The flaky crust works well with the combination of roasted veggies. Really, it makes this dish with it's contrast in texture. Makes for a great vegetarian meal and a great way to clean out the fridge.

Recipe has been adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2015 edition.

Ingredients:

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
1 large sweet potato (peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
2 medium carrots (peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
3 medium turnips (peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
1 large red onion (cut into 1/2 inch rounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
4 ounce goat cheese
1 sheet pie or puff pastry dough
flour (enough to roll out dough)

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Toss veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper on a large roasting sheet.

Roast until tender and golden around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the caramel topping. Cook sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Stir mixture every minute or so to keep mixture cohesive, approx 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add vinegar, a pinch of salt, and then stir to combine. Pour caramel into the bottom of the 9 inch pie dish. Sprinkle rosemary and sage over top.

Arrange veggies in even layers, using carrots and turnips to fill in the spaces. Scatter onions and goat cheese. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface approx 12 inches round total. Drape over dish and tuck in. Prick dough all over with a fork.

Bake approx 20 to 25 minutes until crust is golden brown. Set on a cooling rack 5 to 10 minutes until set. Invert and cut into slices. Enjoy!