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!

 

Briam – Greek roasted vegetables

Tags

courgettes, greek, marrows, passata, potatoes, tomatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, zucchini

 

This is a Greek summertime favorite recipe. Crispy and fluffy potatoes, sweet, flavourful aubergines and juicy courgettes garnished with fresh herbs form an amazing vegetarian dish full of Mediterranean flavours.  The vegetables are coated with olive oil, flavoured with sweet onions and garlic and then baked to perfection.  You can even serve it hot or cold.  This popular dish is traditionally eaten with feta, but it’s also delicious with pork or lamb. Simply delicious!

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 150 ml / 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large aubergine , halved length-ways, then thickly sliced
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 600g / 1.3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm / 1/4″ -thick slices
• 6 medium tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 4 courgettes, sliced
• 300g / 10oz tomato passata (strained tomato sauce)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley , finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200°C /400°
Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened
In a large ovenproof dish spread the potatoes out in a single layer
Season with salt and pepper
Layer on the aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes
Add the onions and garlic
Pour the passata over the top, followed by the olive oil
Sprinkle with oregano and parsley and season generously with sea salt and ground black pepper
Cover the roasting tin tightly with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes
Remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes or until the top has browned and vegetables are tender
Allow to cool slightly before serving
Enjoy!
If the vegetables have released a lot of juices, carefully pour them off into a wide pan and boil rapidly until nicely concentrated in flavour.

Pour back over the vegetables and leave to cool slightly before serving.

 

Poulet Basquaise – chicken with peppers, ham, tomatoes and onions

Tags

basque, Chicken, chicken stew, classic french, espelette, one-dish meal, peppers, piment d'espelette, tomatoes

The perfect one-dish meal! Poulet Basquaise is a standard plat du jour in many bistros across France and there must be at least a hundred interpretations of this classic dish. It originates in the Basque country and is traditionally made with a little Bayonne ham. The generic term Bayonne applies to any salt-cured ham that is air-dried for five months. You may use any unsmoked ham such as prosciutto or Serrano if you cannot find Bayonne. The difference between poulet basquaise and many other chicken and tomato stews is that here the onions and tomatoes are cooked separately from the chicken and peppers and the cooked chicken is served on a bed of the tomato and onion sauce. Additionally the dish tastes especially good due to the addition of Espelette pepper. It is a mildish pepper with lots of flavour and not much heat. If for some reason you cannot find ground piment d’Espelette, substitute 4 small, mildly hot peppers such as serrano peppers or use 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes. As with all spicy recipes, do feel free to adjust the amount of hot peppers to your taste! This dish is typically served with plain, white, boiled rice. It is a great do-ahead dish and tastes even better the next day.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 chicken legs (1 1/2 to 2 kg / 3 to 4 lbs)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour for dusting
3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons (5 total) rendered duck fat or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
250g / 8oz Bayonne ham or prosciutto, diced
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1kg / 2lb red and green bell peppers, cored, seeded and thickly sliced
1kg / 2 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 1 large can 750g / 28oz plum tomatoes, drained)
Pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground piment d’Espelette
Parsley, fresh and coarsely chopped for garnish

Preparation:

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour
In a large, deep and heavy skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil over moderately high heat
Add the chicken and cook on one side until a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes, then turn the pieces over and brown the other side, about 5 minutes more
Work in batches if to avoid overcrowding the pan
Return all the chicken to the pan
Add the garlic, bell peppers, chillis and ham
Cook, covered, over medium low heat until the chicken is cooked and the peppers are soft, about 45 minutes
Stir occasionally and adjust heat to avoid scorching
Meanwhile in another large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat
Add the onions, reduce heat and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes
Add the tomatoes, sugar and piment d’Espelette
Cook for 30 minutes
Season to taste
(The dish can be made ahead up to this point – reheat both mixtures separately before serving)
To serve, spoon the tomato and onion mixture into a deep platter, cover with the chicken, garnish with parsley and serve immediately, with white rice
Enjoy!