Tomato Tarte Tatin

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
About 1 cup unbleached flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup and leveled with a knife
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp ice water

Filling:
8 to 10 roma tomatoes
2 to 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
Scant ½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, and pulse again until the mixture forms clumps. Gently press the dough into a 6-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil a few inches of water in a pot. Fill a bowl with cold water and about a half dozen ice cubes. Slice an “x” into the stem top of the tomatoes (go only about ¼ inch deep). Put the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 15 seconds. Use a spoon to remove the tomatoes and put them into the water. One at a time, take them out, peel them, half them lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds and skins.

On medium heat, melt the butter in the pan. Sprinkle the sugar over the butter. Lay the tomatoes on the sugar, cut-side up. Cook until the butter browns (caramelizes) and the tomatoes are soft but not shapeless.

Remove the pan from the heat. Dot the tomatoes with vanilla.

Working quickly, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a heavily floured surface. Place dough over tomatoes; fold edges under. Cut 4 (1-inch) slits into top of pastry using a sharp knife. Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Place a plate upside down on top of pan. Carefully invert tart onto plate. Serve warm.

Chard & Blue Cheese Parcels

INGREDIENTS

Handful pine nuts
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
200 g chard (or kale or spinach)
1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
250g shortcrust pastry
100g blue cheese, e.g. Roquefort or Stilton

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F (180 C).

Heat a large frying pan with no oil and toast the pine nuts for 2 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and set on one side.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and gently saute the onion with the garlic for about 10 minutes, until it is soft.

Wash the chard well and dry thoroughly. Shred it finely. Add the chard to the pan and saute with the lid on for 5 minutes, until the chard is wilted. Then remove the lid and continue to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.

Roughly chop the pine nuts and mix in with the chard. Add the nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir well.

Roll out the pastry to about a centimer thick. Use a saucer and a knife to cut 4 circles, to make the parcels. Put 2-3 tablespoons of filling into the middle of each circle. Crumble the blue on top of the filling. Brush the edges of each circle with a little milk or beaten egg, then seal together to make a pasty shape. Brush the top of the parcels with milk or egg.

Put on a greased baking tray and bake for about 40 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crispy.