Jersey Royals Courgette Goats Cheese Tart Food

COURGETTE & GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lightly dust a surface with flour, then roll out the pastry into a large, 5mm thick circle. Use to line a deep, 23cm tart tin with removable base. Trim away excess pastry. Prick all over with a fork, then line with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Cook for 10-15 mins until starting to turn golden. Remove paper and beans, then cook for 5 mins more until crisp and cooked through. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, put the saffron in a cup with 1 tbsp hot water, then leave to infuse. Mix grated courgettes with 1 tsp salt, then place in a colander. Slice the last courgette very thinly lengthways into long ribbons (use a vegetable peeler). Sprinkle with salt, then put on top of the grated courgettes. Put the colander over a bowl to drain for at least 30 mins. Tip into the middle of a clean tea towel over the sink, twist and squeeze the tea towel getting every drop of the green liquid out.
• Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Put the courgette slices to one side and add the grated courgettes to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 mins. Tip the grated courgettes into a bowl. Lightly beat the eggs, then add all but 2 tbsp to the courgette bowl. Pour in the cream, the saffron and soaking water, then mix well. Season generously with pepper, and salt if it needs it (it may be salty enough).
• Reduce oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the remaining beaten egg over the tart case. Bake for 5 mins, until the egg has set and sealed the case. Pour in the mix. Crumble on the goat's cheese. Lay the courgette strips over the top like the spokes of a wheel. Bake for 40 mins, until just set, but still a little wobbly. Cool and serve at room temperature.

ZUCCHINI AND GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Place the flour, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and the butter in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse 12 to 14 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the processor running, pour the vinegar and ice water through the feed tube and continue to process and pulse until the dough just comes together. Dump out on a floured board, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the zucchini in a colander set over a plate. Toss it with 2 teaspoons of salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Spread the zucchini out on a clean dish towel, roll it up, and squeeze gently to remove some of the liquid. Put the zucchini slices into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. With a fork, mash together the goat cheese, thyme, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll the dough out on a floured board to an 11-inch circle and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the dough with the goat cheese mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Lay the zucchini slices in tightly overlapping circles, starting at the very edge of the pastry (the zucchini will shrink when it bakes). Continue overlapping circles of zucchini until the whole tart is covered. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the dough is golden brown. Cut in wedges and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust, put the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Cut 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter into large dice, add to the bowl, and pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, add the ice water all at once and process until the dough becomes crumbly. Don't overprocess. Dump the dough out on a floured board, gather it loosely into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough on a well-floured board and fit it into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable sides, rolling the pin over the top to cut off the excess dough. Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil and fit it, butter side down, into the tart pan. Fill the foil with rice or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil from the tart shell, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and bake for another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small pan and saute the shallots over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. Place the goat cheese in the bowl of the food processor and process until crumbly. Add the cream, eggs, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and process until blended.
• Scatter the cooked shallots over the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the goat cheese mixture over the shallots to fill the shell (if the shell has shrunk, there may be leftover filling). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tart is firm when shaken and the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve hot or at room temperature.

ROASTED RATATOUILLE & GOAT'S CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the aubergine, courgette, pepper and onion together with the garlic, olive oil and some seasoning. Tip onto a large baking tray (you may need to use 2 trays) and roast for 20 mins. Toss through the tomatoes and roast for a further 15-20 mins or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelise.
• Meanwhile, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 30 mins.
• While the vegetables cool, reduce oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Prick the base of the tart case with a fork, line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Pop on a baking tray and bake for 15 mins, then remove the beans and parchment. Bake for 10-15 mins more until the pastry is lightly golden.
• Reduce oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Squeeze the garlic from their skins into a jug and mash with a little salt to form a paste. Slowly whisk in the cream, followed by the eggs and some seasoning. Toss the basil through the cooled vegetables, then tip two-thirds into the pastry case, spreading out to an even layer. Crumble over three-quarters of the goat's cheese, then pour over the cream mix. Top with the remaining veg and cheese. Bake for 40-50 mins until the tart is just set, with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve warm for lunch or cold on a picnic, scattered with extra basil leaves, and some toasted pine nuts, if you like.

BAKED CHEESE WITH ROASTED GARLIC JERSEY ROYALS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Wash and scrub the potatoes to remove any excess dirt, then pat dry.
• Toss the potatoes in a roasting tin with the halved head of garlic, the olive oil, half the thyme and most of the rosemary. Season with 1 tsp flaky sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Roast the potatoes for 30 mins.
• Nestle the box of cheese in the centre of the roasting tin and cut slits into the top of the cheese, then drizzle with a little more oil and scatter over the remaining thyme and rosemary. Bake for a further 15 mins. Take the tin straight to the table and serve with cured meats on the side, if you like, or arrange everything on a platter and dig in.