Tomato tarte tatin

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 kg Roma tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
Puff pastry for a 12-inch tart
Fresh basil

1. Set the oven at 200 degrees C.

2. In a pan large enough to hold the tomatoes, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook to dissolve. When it starts to caramelize, add the tomatoes, cut sides up. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes release their juices.

3. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook 2 minutes more. Arrange the tomatoes in a 12-inch tart pan, cut sides up. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Roll the pastry and with scissors, cut it into a 12-inch round. Place it on top of the tomatoes, tucking it in at the edges. With a fork, make small holes in the pastry.

5. Put pan on a baking tray and transfer to the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees C. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

6. Let the tart sit for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pastry to loosen it from the pan. Set a large plate upside down on the tart and using pot holders, turn the plate right side up so the tart comes out. Cut into wedges and garnish with fresh basil.

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What do the food critics say? Yum yum yum.
What does the cook say? I made the puff pastry myself which increases the time needed, but it was pretty easy ...also easy to stop and start at different points.

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Onion, walnut and mushroom tarte tartin

4 onions
3 tbsp olive oil
200g/8oz chestnut mushrooms, halved if large
2 tsp light muscovado sugar
50g/2oz walnuts
100g/4oz blue cheese, such as Stilton, or vegetarian blue cheese
250g/9oz puff pastry

Heat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6. Peel the onions and cut each into six wedges through the root. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions, then gently fry for 20 minutes until softened and lightly coloured.

Add the mushrooms, sugar, salt and pepper and give it a good stir. Gently cook, stirring now and then for a further five minutes. Stir in the walnuts. Line the base of a 20-23cm sandwich cake tin (not loose-based) with baking parchment. Spoon over the onion mixture and press it down lightly. Crumble the cheese over.

Roll out the pastry and trim to a round, about 5cm larger than the tin. Put the pastry over the filling and tuck in the ends. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Cool for five minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a flat plate and cut into wedges. Serve with a green salad.

Can be prepared up to the baking stage a day in advance. To serve as a starter, make individual tarts in Yorkshire pudding tins.

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