Provençal Gratin w/ Olives & Lemon Thyme

Recipe from the Wyllie Fox Farm Kitchen

1 ½ pounds russet or Yellow Finnish Potatoes
3 to 4 large ripe tomatoes
6 tbsp olive oil
2 medium red onions, sliced ¼ inch thick
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp fennel seeds, crushed
salt & pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup green or black niçoise olives, pitted or roughly chopped
leaves plucked from 12 branches lemon thyme (or thyme)
1 tbsp small capers, rinsed

Preheat oven to 400°.  Bring 3 quarts of water to boil and add 1 tbsp salt.  Peel the potatoes, slice them ¼ inch thick, add them to the water and boil for 5 minutes.  Scoop them out & set aside to drain in a colander.

Drop the tomatoes in the boiling water, wait for 10 seconds, then remove & plunge them into cold water.  Remove the cores, peel and halve the tomatoes crosswise.  Gently squeeze out the seeds & juice.  Roughly chop half of one tomato and set aside, and cut the rest into slices about ¼ inch thick.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and add the onions with the dried thyme, fennel seeds and some black pepper.  Sautee over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until onions brown slightly and soften, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt & set aside.

Cover the bottom of an 8 cup baking dish with 2 tbsp olive oil, then add half the onions & garlic, the chopped tomato, the olives & half the thyme leaves.  Layer the potatoes & tomatoes over the onions, tucking in the remaining garlic slivers & capers, and seasoning with salt & pepper as you go.  Top with the remaining onions & spoon 2 tbsp olive oil over the top.  Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes; then bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Scatter the remaining thyme leaves over the top and serve.

Serves 4-6

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