Provencal Onion Tart (unfortunately, not the best photo)
I have always wanted to make an onion tart, but like many other things I’ve wanted to make, I’ve just never gotten around to it. Last week I my husband and I were invited to a neighborhood gathering. I was still recovering from cooking Thanksgiving dinner, so I wanted to bring something tasty, but easy. As I was looking through recipes I’ve collected over the years, I came across one for Provencal Onion Tart. This recipe was adapted from Cakebread Cellars, from their website.
The tart was wonderful! The onions are cooked to a consistency where they just melt in your mouth. I followed the recipe as written, except before baking I topped it with finely grated parmesan cheese, and put the olives on before baking. Delicious!!!

PROVENCAL ONION TART (PISSALADIERE)
6 yellow onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 sheet Puff Pastry
1 large egg
16 oil-cured black olive, pitted
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
In a large saute pan, cook the onions over medium heat with the olive oil, thyme sprigs, and salt. Cover and cook for 40 minutes to an hour until onions are wilted and soft. Remove the lid and continue cooking until all the moisture is gone and onions are starting to turn golden brown. Pull the thyme sprigs out and discard. Allow to cool while making the tart.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Far. On a lightly floured surface roll sheet of puff pastry to thickness of 1/16″ (I just rolled mine until it fit nicely on a half-sheet pan. Cut four 1/2″ wide strips, one from each side of the pastry-set aside. Place the puff pastry sheet on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Dock the surface with a fork and lightly brush with the beaten egg. Lay the strips of puff pastry on each edge. Place in the middle of oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until just starting to turn brown and pastry no longer looks raw. Spread the onion mixture on the inside of the tart. (Then I grated enough parmesan cheese over the tart to cover. Decorate with the olives in a grid pattern. (I made mine into small appetizer sizes, so I used about 15 olives, and sliced them in half, giving me 30 servings), and sprinkle with the fresh thyme leaves. Brush the edges with the egg and return to the oven to continue cooking. Remove when pastry is dark golden brown.