Bingo! I think that's it. And yes, the tomato was only halved...not diced. Thank you all so much!

By the way @casa-giardino, there is a note at the bottom of this recipe that says it's adapted from Saveur...surely from the recipe that you posted, which looks equally delicious.

@superfinesugar Got it! This is the recipe that I first tried in 1999 and I haven't gotten it off my mind since. I hope this is along the lines of what you're reminiscing ; )

I don't particularly remember the tomato being diced. My friend's mom used heirloom tomatoes that she had cut in half, scooped out the seeds and sliced. Of course this will be even better come next summer!

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/TODAY%3A+BEST+RECIPES+OF+1999+FENNEL+GRATIN+WITH+TOMATO-a064046695

@pierino -You've got to try this! I can tell that you have a taste for good food and I promise, this will make you sing.

@superfinesugar yes, success! My friend's mom still has the recipe, she's emailing it to me!! I'll be back in two shakes...

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Fennel-Baked-in-Cream-Finocchio-al-Forno

Raven. Sorry.

RevensFeast, fingers are crossed!!! Jon, thank you for the link. It's close, but this definitely did not have potatoes in it. Fennel only.

I'm interested in the replies here because fennel and tomato would not be two flavors it would occur to me to combine. Which doesn't mean it isn't delicious, it's just a "hhmmm" moment. And I happen to love fennel.

Oh my goodness, yes! I had this at my friend's mom house about 4 years ago, in Seattle. I haven't been able to get it off my mind since - that good. Funny thing is, I'm known for repetitively requesting the recipe from my friend's mom; ironically, I keep losing it! Alas, I just emailed her again (at this point, no shame) to ask for it again. It is exactly as you've described. Hold tight, I'll get back to you ; )

I would do something similar to this food52 recipe:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/712_potato_and_fennel_gratin

From your description, it seems like what you had could be called a fennel gratin with tomatoes. If you can still get a decent tomato, you may be good to go. You could just change a couple of things in the recipe to suit your memory of the dish.