Roasted Shallot & Sun-Blushed Tomato Tarte Tartin

It’s been one of those really hot summer weekends. The kind where you’re too warm to do anything, never mind cook. I wanted something light, easy, and fresh. Nothing that needed standing over a stove.

I’d been doing a bit of reading, looking for summer ideas, and ended up falling down a bit of a garden path, literally. Somehow I got onto the topic of tomatoes. Growing them in the UK. Don’t ask. There are so many varieties out there. All different shapes, sizes, colours, and flavours. It’s quite fascinating. I never really thought much about tomatoes before, but when you look at how people use them properly, they’re kind of amazing.

They’re not just something you throw in a salad or stick in a sandwich. They actually bring so much to a plate. Sun-dried tomatoes add that deep, savoury sweetness. Heritage plum tomatoes have this fresh acidity that cuts through creamy or rich ingredients like goat’s cheese. They balance, they lift, and they work beautifully with herbs like basil and rosemary. Once you start thinking like that, tomatoes go from being “summer veg” to something a bit more… special.

Somewhere along that rabbit hole, I ended up reading about Green Michelin Stars — and that really made me stop and think. It’s all about sustainability, local ingredients, and farm-to-table cooking. Chef’s growing their own veg, designing menus around what’s available, and doing it in a way that’s good for the planet. Not just good food, but responsible food.

It made me reflect on Posh & Pantry. I’m not growing tomatoes in my own garden just yet, but I can start thinking more seasonally. Using local ingredients. Reducing waste. Even just being a bit more mindful about what I’m buying, where it’s from, and how I use it. That mindset’s really stuck with me lately, and it’s already starting to shape the way I cook.

So I had a look at what I already had: a few shallots, some sun-dried tomatoes, a bit of goat’s cheese, and a punnet of heritage plums in beautiful shades of red, orange, and gold. Nothing fancy. Just good ingredients with a bit of personality.

Instead of overcomplicating it, I kept it simple. Let the tomatoes do what they do. Roasted the shallots until sweet and sticky. Whipped the goat’s cheese into a soft, light cream. Layered it all together, with toasted pine nuts for crunch and a drizzle of basil oil to bring it to life.

What came together was something I’d call a “Summer Garden Tart”. But really, it’s a savoury little tarte tatin with a summer twist. Warm, fresh, light, and exactly the kind of thing you want when it’s too hot to think.