Tennessee Tomato Tart

The first time I had a tart like this was with friends in an antebellum home on a hill top in Franklin, Tennessee. The tomatoes flavored with thyme are caramelized with rice syrup and covered with puff pastry. This isn't the healthiest of recipes because of the puffed pastry, but it is vegan. This savory pastry makes a beautiful appetizer or light lunch.

1 pound ripe Roma tomatoes (about 6)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 medium shallot minced
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Core tomatoes and slice them lengthwise into quarters. Using a paring knife seed each wedge. Combine the tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and olive oil in a mixing bowl or large zip bag tossing gently to coat thoroughly.

In a 7-inch nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan, combine rice syrup, vinegar and shallot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half and the mixture is syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool 5 minutes.

Arrange the tomato wedges, cut-side down, in a concentric circle slightly overlapping and tight. The pan will be full. Pour remaining marinade over the tomatoes.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and cook until the tomatoes have released their juices and evaporated about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool 5 minutes.

Cut a 9-inch circle from the puff pastry using a 9-inch dinner plate as your template. Place the pastry over the tomatoes and using a spatula tuck the edges of the pastry down the edge into the pan.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Place a plate over the pan and invert the plate and pan in a single motion. Cut into 6-8 wedges. Serve warm.