Country tart

September 9, 2015 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019)

TO DRINK: Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc, with wooded minerality to counteract the rich, cheesy tart.

Country tart

Serves: 1 tart
Cooking Time: 3 hours plus extra for the tomatoes

Ingredients

  • For the filling, preheat the oven to 70°C. Place the tomatoes in a roasting pan and season. Finely chop 1 garlic clove and mix it with the tomatoes along with the thyme and 30ml (2 tbsp) of the oil. Roast for 5 hours.
  • Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Season the aubergines and marrows and pan-fry until golden-brown on both sides. Set aside.
  • Chargrill the peppers until black, place in a plastic bag to cool, then peel, seed and cut into squares. Set aside.
  • When the tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the heat to 180°C and roast the remaining (unpeeled) garlic and the onion (also unpeeled) in the oven for about 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool. Cut the onion in half, remove theskin and cut the pulp into chunks.
  • Cut the garlic across the cloves and gently squeeze out the soft pulp.
  • Place the olives, onion and garlic in a bowl with the goat’s cheese and half the Parmesan and mix well. Season and set aside until needed.
  • For the pastry, preheat the oven to 200 ºC and butter and flour a 26cm tart tin. Mix together the flour, sugar, cayenne pepper and paprika in the bowl of a food processor (or mix by hand). Add the remaining ingredients and blend until well combined, but take care not to over-mix.
  • Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 3mm thickness,keeping it cold while you work. Roll the pastry around your rolling pin and unroll it over the greased baking tin.
  • Prick the base all over with a fork, then gently shape the pastry to fit the tin, leaving the edges hanging over the sides. Bake blind until light golden, about 12 – 15 minutes.
  • Remove the pastry case from the oven and allow to cool before trimming the edges with a serrated knife. Reduce the oven temperature to 180ºC.
  • To assemble the tart, spread the cheese mixture onto the base of the crust.
  • Combine the tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and marrows in a bowl and gently toss with the remaining Parmesan. Arrange the vegetables in overlapping layers on top of the cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before lifting out of the tart tin and slicing.

Instructions

1

For the filling, preheat the oven to 70°C. Place the tomatoes in a roasting pan and season. Finely chop 1 garlic clove and mix it with the tomatoes along with the thyme and 30ml (2 tbsp) of the oil. Roast for 5 hours.

2

Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Season the aubergines and marrows and pan-fry until golden-brown on both sides. Set aside.

3

Chargrill the peppers until black, place in a plastic bag to cool, then peel, seed and cut into squares. Set aside.

4

When the tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the heat to 180°C and roast the remaining (unpeeled) garlic and the onion (also unpeeled) in the oven for about 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool. Cut the onion in half, remove theskin and cut the pulp into chunks.

5

Cut the garlic across the cloves and gently squeeze out the soft pulp.

6

Place the olives, onion and garlic in a bowl with the goat’s cheese and half the Parmesan and mix well. Season and set aside until needed.

7

For the pastry, preheat the oven to 200 ºC and butter and flour a 26cm tart tin. Mix together the flour, sugar, cayenne pepper and paprika in the bowl of a food processor (or mix by hand). Add the remaining ingredients and blend until well combined, but take care not to over-mix.

8

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 3mm thickness,keeping it cold while you work. Roll the pastry around your rolling pin and unroll it over the greased baking tin.

9

Prick the base all over with a fork, then gently shape the pastry to fit the tin, leaving the edges hanging over the sides. Bake blind until light golden, about 12 – 15 minutes.

10

Remove the pastry case from the oven and allow to cool before trimming the edges with a serrated knife. Reduce the oven temperature to 180ºC.

11

To assemble the tart, spread the cheese mixture onto the base of the crust.

12

Combine the tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and marrows in a bowl and gently toss with the remaining Parmesan. Arrange the vegetables in overlapping layers on top of the cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper and bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before lifting out of the tart tin and slicing.

CHEF’S TIPS
If you prefer, make a basic shortcrust pastry instead:

  • Sieve 450g cake flour and 5ml (1 tsp) salt onto a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre and add 225g butter and 1 large egg. Mix quickly, adding about 60ml (¼ cup) water a little at a time until you have the right consistency. Split into portions and refrigerate until needed. Whichever pastry you make, it is important that all the ingredients are at the same temperature when you start.
  • You can add toasted pumpkin seeds, shredded basil or chopped anchovies to the filling, and if you prefer you can substitute Parmesan with Cheddar.
  • You don’t have to arrange the vegetables in layers: you can just mix them together and spread them over the cheese.

 

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