Tarte à l'oignon (Onion tart)

Juliette has a real good touch for this. And we love varying the recipe each time, so it's never the same way twice. She buys the prepackaged crust dough at the supermarket. It comes rolled up in a long triangular package. There are two kinds: brisée and feuilletée; the latter is the favorite but the former works also. They are quite thin.

We have a two-piece form for making this, one part is a beveled ring and the other a flat base that fits into it. It's made of a light, cheap metal. What she does is unroll the crust and press it into the mold. She's found that baking just the crust in the oven makes for a crisper, more finished crust. Then take three eggs, a bit of light cream or soy cream, and a splash of milk and beat them in a bowl, adding a good dose of salt and pepper. More than you think, especially the salt. At about the same time, pan sauté three or four medium onions, chopped, in olive oil and a generous splash of white wine, also seasoned with salt and pepper. Two cloves of minced garlic go in, too.

And that's just a starting point. Yellow, white, and red onions, shallots, green onions, fennel, tomatoes, and mushrooms have all found their way into various tarts. Also, bacon (BACON!), chorizo, olives... you get he idea. Sauté until soft, then pour the egg mixture onto the crust, followed by the pan contents. Season again... we love Spanish pimentón, thyme, a few drops of hot sauce, whatever, and into a 175C/350F oven for about 30 minutes. Serve with a nice tossed green salad and a refreshing white or lighter red wine. Easy, light, tasty!