Recipe: New Potato Gratin with Tomatoes and Olives

New Potato Gratin With Tomatoes And Olives
Yield: 4
Recipe by: Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone-Deborah Madison

2 lb new potatoes; scrubbed and peeled
salt and pepper
4 lg ripe tomatoes
1/4 c olive oil {plus extra for the dish}
2 red onions; thinly sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp fennel seeds; crushed
1/3 c pitted kalamata olives; coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic; thinly sliced
8 sprigs thyme
1/4 lemon; thinly sliced
1 tb capers; rinsed

* Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish. * Slice the potatoes 3/8-inch thick. Boil them in salted water for 4 minutes, then scoop them out, rinse under cold water, and set aside. Plunge the tomatoes into the same water for 10 seconds, then remove and rinse. Peel, halve, and seed. Coarsely chop half of one tomato; slice the rest crosswise.

* Warm half the oil in a skillet over high heat and add the onions, dried thyme, fennel, and a little pepper. Saute until the onions are lightly browned and wilted, about 8 minutes. Transfer them to casserole dish.

* Scatter the chopped tomato, olives, half the garlic, half the thyme sprigs, and half the lemon over the top. Cover with the potatoes, intersperse with the sliced tomatoes, and tuck in the remaining garlic, thyme, and lemon. Season with salt and pepper; scatter the capers over the top, and drizzle with the remaining oil. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake until the potatoes are fully tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.