Cherry Tomato Clafoutis

Myrna sent me this recipe from her newsletter from PBS, www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes.  Because I had a couple of pots of red and orange cherry tomatoes and a pot of French thyme on my patio, she thought this was a recipe I should try.

It’s is a take on clafoutis, which is usually a sweet dessert with cherries or plums.  Somewhere between a cake and a custard, if you forgo the sugar and vanilla, the ingredients aren’t all that far off from a quiche or frittata.   We thought it tasted like an oven-omelet, and it was certainly easy and delicious. 

I poured the batter into the pie plate first, then arranged my tomatoes, then sprinkled with cheese, so the tomatoes would be where I wanted them.  We’ll have this again, but you should know that the tomatoes were very hot, and you probably should let this set 5 or 10 minutes before serving.  I didn’t have Comte cheese, so I used some mixed Gruyere and Emmenthaler that I had on hand; really, I think even cheddar would be delicious.   It really puffs up in the oven, and I worried that I might overcook it, but it was perfect.  The center must be puffed and golden before it’s done.

Thanks, Myrna, for the heads up on this recipe.

                         Cherry Tomato Clafoutis

  1           teaspoon  butter

  8 ½       ounces  cherry tomatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)

  4           eggs

     ½       cup  whole milk

     ¼       cup  heavy cream

  1           ounce  all-purpose flour (about 1/4 cup)

  1           teaspoon  fresh thyme leaves

     ½       teaspoon  salt

     ¼       teaspoon  black pepper

  2           Ounces  Comté cheese -- grated (I used Gruyere and Emmenthaler)

Move your oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter an 8" pie dish or cake pan and then add the cherry tomatoes evenly spaced. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth and free of lumps. Slowly pour the mixture over the tomatoes, being careful not to clump the tomatoes together. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until puffy and golden brown (about 35-40 minutes).Slice and serve hot or at room temperature.

4 Servings