ROASTED TOMATOES AND FINGERLING POTATOES WITH THYME, OLIVES AND CAPERS

Serves: 4, vegan and gluten-free

1 lb (454 g) fingerling potatoes, ■ more or less the same size Sea salt and freshly ground ■ pepper 3 good-sized ripe tomatoes ■ 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil ■ 1 large red or yellow onion, ■ sliced about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick 1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried thyme ■ 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) toasted fennel ■ seeds 4 thin strips of lemon zest ■ (removed with a vegetable peeler, then slivered) 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly ■ sliced 1/2 cup (125 mL) olives ■ (niçoise, kalamata or your favourite), pitted and halved 2 tbsp (30 mL) capers ■ 12 thyme branches ■ Red wine vinegar or 1 lemon, ■ quartered

1. Heat the oven to 400 F (205 C).

2. Wash the potatoes, then slice them in half lengthwise. If any are a lot larger than the rest, slice them in thirds so that the pieces are more or less the same size. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil.

3. Add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of salt, then the potatoes. When the boil returns, cook for 4 minutes, then scoop the potatoes out and set them aside in a strainer.

4. Drop the tomatoes into the same pot for about 10 seconds, then remove them to a bowl of water and peel off the skins. Halve them crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds, then cut the walls into large pieces. Finely chop the cores.

5. Warm half the olive oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onions along with the dried thyme and fennel seeds. Cook, tossing them in the pan, until they begin to soften in colour, after about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.

6. Lightly oil an 8-cup (2-L) gratin dish. Spread half the onions, the minced tomato cores and half of the larger pieces of tomato, garlic, olives, capers, and thyme branches in the dish. Cover with the potatoes and the remaining tomatoes and tuck in the remaining slivers of garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Cover the potatoes with the remaining onions and wiggle in the rest of the thyme, olive, and capers. Drizzle a little oil over the potatoes, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.

8. Serve with vinegar or lemon quarters for those who want a little more acid. Recipes reprinted with permission from In My Kitchen by Deborah Madison.Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.