Little Wild Sorrel And Herb Tarts With Melted Goats Cheese Food

ONION & GOAT'S CHEESE TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Cut the pastry into 4 rectangles and place on a baking sheet. Mark a border 1cm in from the edge of the pastry with a sharp knife. Spoon the onions into the middle, smooth then top with the cheese and thyme. Drizzle with oil and bake for 15-20 mins, until the cheese has melted and the pastry has risen and is golden brown.
• For the onions: Makes 600g, which is 3 batches. Prep time 5 mins, cook time 30 mins. Melt the butter in a large, deep frying pan and stir through the onions. Cover with a lid and cook gently for about 10 mins, until softened. Remove lid, add sugar, then cook 15-20 mins, stirring, until all of the liquid has evaporated and onions have turned golden. Divide into 3 batches to make the recipes, right. Will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

HERB CHEESE AND SPINACH SAUCE WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add wet spinach; cover pan; cook until spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in cream cheese and salt and pepper to taste until cheese is melted.(You can also add a couple of tablespoons of water or milk if desired).
• To serve, spoon over 1 pound of pasta, cooked.

INSPIRATIONAL GOAT'S CHEESE ON GARLIC CIABATTA TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Arrange the whole heads of garlic snugly in an oven dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in the oven for about an hour, or until the garlic is softened.
• Squeeze the soft garlic out of its skins into a small dish or bowl. Add enough olive oil to make a thick paste and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Slice some goats' cheese thinly. Cut the ciabatta in half and place under the grill to toast then spread the slices with the garlic paste. Place the goats' cheese on top and pop under the grill again until the cheese has melted.
• Serve with on a bed of fresh, crisp lettuce leaves. I often add a couple of slices of prosciutto, too.

SALAD OF FRENCH-STYLE GREEN BEANS AND GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Juice the lemon. Cut the beans diagonally into broad diamond shapes (any shape will do, but this just looks pretty). Blanch them in boiling water in circa 2 mins and immediately rinse in cold water. Cut the olives into chunks. Mix beans, olives, oil, and lemon juice, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Crumble the cheese over the salad.

HERBED GOAT CHEESE TART

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 13-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) and fit into a 10 or 11-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Prick dough all over with a fork and chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake tart shell on a baking sheet in middle of oven 10 minutes, or until almost cooked through but still pale.
• In a food precessor blend cheeses, yolks, flour, and butter until smooth. Stir in chopped herbs and pour filling into tart shell. Bake tart 20 minutes, or until filling is just set. Sprinkle tart with herb leaves and continue baking until filling and crust are pale golden. Cool tart in pan on a rack and remove rim. Serve tart warm or at room temperature.

LITTLE WILD SORREL AND HERB TARTS WITH MELTED GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170C (325F, Gas mark 3). For the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and bind with the egg, then allow it to rest for half an hour. Roll out the pastry and line six individual tart tins or 1 large tin.
• Wash the spinach, sorrel and herbs if necessary and dry them well. Shred the spinach and sorrel. Heat a pan with a little oil and stir fry the spinach and sorrel until it collapses. Remove from the pan and spread out on a plate to allow it to cool quickly.
• Chop the herbs, crush a sliver of garlic and place in a bowl with the eggs and cream. Add the spinach and sorrel, the seasoning and the nutmeg. Spoon into the tarts. Cook in the oven until the egg mixture is just set, about 15-20 minutes. They do not need to be fully cooked. Allow to cool.
• To serve, take the tarts out of the tins and place on an oven tray. Increase the oven heat to 200C (400F, Gas mark 6). Place a thick slice of the goat's cheese on the top of each tart and put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve on a bed of dressed salad leaves.

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.

HERBED GOAT'S CHEESE & SUMMER VEG TARTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Unroll the pastry and cut it into 4 rectangles. Score a border about 2cm in from the edge of each piece, then lift onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Mash the goat's cheese with the herbs, plus some seasoning. Spread over the middles of the tarts.
• Overlap the courgette and tomato slices on top of the cheese, then scatter with the olives and thyme leaves. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Brush the edges of the pastry with egg. Bake for 15-20 mins until the pastry is dark golden and the vegetables are starting to sizzle.
• Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard and honey to make a dressing, then season to taste. Toss with the watercress just before serving.

GOAT'S CHEESE & CRANBERRY TARTLETS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Lay pastry on a floured work surface. Using a round 7.5cm round pastry cutter, cut out as many circles as possible.
• Sit them on oiled baking sheets and score a circle about 2.5cm in from the edge of each disc by pressing gently with a 5cm cutter. Pierce the middle of each with a fork, brush with egg and top with a little cranberry sauce or chutney.
• Slice the cheese 5mm thick so you have a slice per disc (discard end rinds). Lay a slice on each tartlet, then top with thyme leaves, a drizzle of oil and a twist of black pepper.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and the pastry crispy. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm, garnished with rocket leaves.

WILD MUSHROOM AND GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• pre-heat oven 350.
• saute mushrooms in a large pan over high heat until all moisture has evaporated. Add butter ,shallots,lemon zest and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cool.
• Once cooled, place a spoonful into phyllo tart shells and bake about 5 minutes or so,.

LEEK & GOAT'S CHEESE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Wash the leeks in a colander but don't worry about drying them as you want a bit of water clinging on. Heat the butter in a wide saucepan until sizzling, then add the wet leeks and thyme leaves plus salt and pepper. Sweat the leeks really gently for 20-25 mins until they have practically melted but not coloured, adding a little more butter if needed. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Roll the pastry out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut out 4 saucer-size circles and place on a baking sheet. Spread the leeks over the circles leaving a slight border around the edge. Put a slice of goat's cheese in the middle of each tart and top with a thyme sprig. Pinch the pastry edge together to slightly encase the leeks, then bake the tarts for 25 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve hot and drizzled with flavoured oil if you have it.