Grape Tomato and Goat Cheese Clafouti

A clafouti [pronounced klah-foo-TEE] is a traditional French baked fruit dessert with a pudding-like custard topping that originated in the northwest central province of Limousin. But in this beautiful savoury version, the custard is infused with fresh basil and coats vegetables instead of fruit. It will make you dream you're sitting on the French Mediterranean coast instead of the chilly northwest, which makes it perfect for those cold autumn days when the vegetables are all still in season. The grape tomatoes burst with fresh sweetness in every bite.

A proper dessert clafouti is baked until it has a pudding-cake consistency, which means that a knife inserted in the centre should come out clean, but if you're serving it right away the basil is best favoured by letting the pudding run like a thick gravy through the vegetables.

Grape tomato and goat cheese clafouti

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 banana pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, or ¾ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
4 large eggs
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups milk
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil, wait a few seconds, then swirl around the pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until the onion starts to turn golden. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to soften. Toss in the parsley and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. If you'd like a little added piquancy, add a dash of cayenne pepper as well or, as I did, substitute for the salt fresh ground Spicy Sea Salt from the Spice Depot. Stir in, and cook for 1 more minute. Remove to a lightly buttered casserole dish, at least 2½ quarts in capacity.

Whisk together the eggs and flour in a bowl until smooth. Pour in the milk and add the basil. Season with the rest of the salt as well as more black pepper to taste and whisk again until combined. Gently pour the mixture over the vegetables.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the topping turns golden and just begins to burn at the edges. If you would like a more solid cake-like clafouti, bake until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack, sprinkle with the goat cheese, and let stand for 5 minutes to let the cheese melt slightly before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.