Tomato puff pastry tart

Tags

appetizer, brunch, cherry tomato, lunch, puff pastry, starter, tart, tomatoes

This is a perfect way to use those great tasting summer tomatoes. I have a glut of cherry tomatoes at the moment and so am always looking for ways to use them. Using frozen or store bought puff pastry makes this such a quick and easy recipe to put together.

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• tomatoes, (I used about 40 cherry tomatoes)
• olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs (I used basil and oregano)
• 1 heaped tablespoon strong Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup  shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup  grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/3 cup  grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them cut side down on a paper towel and allow to drain for about 15 minutes (If using larger tomatoes, slice thickly and place on paper towel)
Toss the tomatoes in a bowl with some olive oil, salt, pepper and the chopped herbs
Place the puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper in a baking sheet
Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork
Spread the mustard on the pastry leaving a small border around the edges
Sprinkle the cheeses over the mustard
Place the tomatoes, cut side up, so that their juice doesn’t make the pastry too soggy
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden
Enjoy!

 

Gougères

Tags

apero, appetizer, Cheese, chou pastry, gougeres, gruyere, hors d'œuvres

The best way to describe gougères is to call them cheese puffs. Their dough, pâte à choux, is the same one you’d use for sweet cream puffs or profiteroles, but when the pâte à choux is destined to become gougères, you fold in a good amount of grated cheese. I use Gruyère, Comté, Emmenthal or sharp cheddar. These delicate bites originated in Burgundy and are traditionally served with a kir or a glass of champagne. Who am I to not follow tradition, so either a kir royale (cassis with bubbly) or plain champagne is my drink of choice with these cheesy puffs.

note:
Cook the paste until its dry. It’s important to cook the dough for a few minutes before adding the eggs; this dries it out and makes it more able to absorb the eggs.
Use the right number of eggs for your dough. Depending on your flour and the humidity of the day you are making the gougères, you might not need all the eggs. Add the eggs in three additions, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl before the next batch, and checking for doneness. If you scoop up a little bit with your spatula and let it slide back into the bowl, it should leave behind a little “V” of dough on the spatula.

Makes about 18

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyère or cheddar

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 210 C / 425 F
• Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper
• Bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan
• Add the flour all at once, lower the heat to medium-low and immediately start stirring energetically
• Keep stirring for a minute or two to dry the dough.  It should now be very smooth
• Turn the dough into the bowl
• Let the dough sit for a minute then add the eggs one by one while beating energetically.  The dough should become thick and shiny
• Beat in the grated cheese
• Using about 1 tablespoon for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheet
• Leave about 5cm / 2 inches between each
• Slide the sheets into the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 185 C / 375 F
• Bake for about 25 minutes until they are firm, golden and puffed
• Enjoy!

Potato, Roquefort and Hazelnut tart

Tags

blue cheese, hazelnuts, potato, quiche, roquefort, savoury tart, tart

This potato and blue cheese tart was a definite treat. An indulgence. It’s creamier than a quiche and manages to take something as humble as a boiling potato and cook it in a manner that transforms it into a gourmet dish. Serve as a starter or a main course with a green salad.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 shortcrust pastry
100g / 4oz lardons
500g / 17oz potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion, diced
200g / 8oz Roquefort
200ml / (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) heavy cream
75g / 3oz grated Gruyère
1 handful of hazelnuts, roughly crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out on a floured surface and transfer to a buttered 9 inch (24cm) tart pan
Place again in the fridge for about 20 minutes
Preheat the oven to 210C / 420F
Place the whole potatoes in a saucepan with boiling water and cook for 15 minutes
Drain and allow to cool completely
Slice into thin slices
In a skillet, lightly brown the lardons and onion, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly
Remove the tart shell from the refrigerator
Arrange half the potato slices on the base
Add the lardons and onions
Cover with the remaining potatoes
Pour the cream over the top
Sprinkle the crumbled Roquefort over
Add the hazelnuts
Finally sprinkle on the grated Gruyère
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes
Serve warm
Enjoy!