Upside Down Chicory Tart Food

UPSIDE-DOWN BUTTERNUT SQUASH TART

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
• Put the puff pastry on a cutting board, put an inverted 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet on top and cut the pastry with a knife. Transfer the pastry round to a parchment-lined baking sheet and poke all over with a fork. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Put the sugar in the bottom of the 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium heat, shaking the skillet frequently, until the sugar is a dark caramel color, about 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, separate the necks and bulbs of the squash using a sharp knife. Reserve the bulbs for another use. Cut the stems off the necks and peel the necks with a peeler. Using a mandoline, slice the squash as thinly as possible while keeping them as whole circles.
• Start to arrange 1 layer of overlapping squash slices over the bottom of the skillet in concentric circles. Sprinkle with half the thyme, half the sage and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lay down another layer of squash and top with the remaining thyme and sage and another 1/2 teaspoon salt. Top with any remaining squash and place the puff pastry round on top.
• Transfer the skillet to a baking sheet and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes in the skillet and invert onto a plate. Top with freshly grated Parmesan.

MEDITERRANEAN UPSIDE DOWN TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and gently sauté the onion, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, capsicums, garlic and seasonings until softish, stirring occasionally.
• Place the tomatoes, olives, feta, basil and sautéed veggies into a bowl and toss well, then transfer the mixture to an ovenproof dish.
• Cut a pastry sheet to fit the dish and place it on top of the vegetables. Tuck in the edges and cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is golden and has risen slightly .
• Allow the tart to cool a little and then invert it onto a large serving platter, so that the pastry is now on the bottom.
• Serve warm or at room temperature as a main dish for brunch or lunch or as a side dish served with other Mediterranean dishes, in which case it would serve more than 4.

UPSIDE-DOWN CHICORY TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the water, then drop in the lemon halves. Boil the chicory for 2-3 mins until just wilted. Scoop the chicory into a bowl of iced water, then drain and sit on kitchen paper to absorb all the excess liquid.
• Heat the butter and sugar in an ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm in diameter. Cook for 4-5 mins until the sugar is turning golden and caramelising, then turn off the heat. Cram the chicory, cut-side down, in the caramel. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut to fit the pan. Scatter the cheese over the chicory, then drape over the pastry, tucking it down at the sides. Bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Leave to rest for 5 mins before turning out onto a plate. Serve in slices with a side salad of winter leaves and walnuts.

UPSIDE-DOWN TOMATO TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the bacon drippings for 8 to 10 seconds to melt, if necessary. Combine the tomatoes, onion, bacon drippings, lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• Coat the bottom and side of an 8- or 9-inch cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Toss the tomato mixture with the lemon juice and asiago; spread evenly in the skillet. Place the puff pastry on top; trim the overhanging pastry with kitchen shears.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pastry is dark golden, about 50 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes, then place a large plate or platter on top of the skillet and invert the tart. Sprinkle with basil and let cool, about 5 more minutes. Cut into wedges.

UPSIDE-DOWN PECAN TART

Steps:

• In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, combine butter, honey and sugars. Bring to a boil; let boil for 4 minutes. Add pecans and heavy cream, and boil 3 minutes more. Remove form heat and set aside. Let stand about 30 minutes to cool. Using a wooden spoon, gently mound pecans and caramel slightly in center of skillet, leaving a gap between pecans and edge of skillet.,.
• Preheat oven to 425F with rack in the top third. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of prepared chilled pastry to approximately 7/8-inch thick, 13-inch diameter circle. Place the pastry over the skillet, carefully tucking the dough down against the edge of the skillet and around the edges of the mound of pecans. Trim the excess dough.
• Place two rimmed baking sheets, one on top of the other, underneath the skillet to catch any drips while the pie bakes and to provide the insulation for the caramel. Place skillet in the oven, and bake pie until the dough is just turning golden brown about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F, and continue baking until the pastry is cooked through and the caramel is bubbling up around the edges of the skillet, about 30 minutes more.
• Remove the pie from oven and let cool about 20 minutes. Carefully invert the pie onto a parchment lined tray or baking sheet (the pie is easy to transfer to a serving plate one it has been inverted). Be careful inverting the pie; the caramel is very hot. If the pie does not release easily from skillet, heat the skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Serve warm.

UPSIDE DOWN PEAR TART

Steps:

• Heat sugar over medium heat in a heavy 10 inch skillet with a oven safe handle until the syrup is light brown in color. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon peel. Stir until butter melts.
• Arrange pears in two layers over the hot sugar mixture in skillet filling open spaces with pears slices; sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Roll pastry to a 10-inch round and place over pears.
• Bake at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until pasty is golden brown. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. if there seems to be too much sauce in the pan, pour excess sauce in a 1 pint container and use to serve on tart, invert the tart onto shallow serving dish serve with warm yogurt.

EASY UPSIDE DOWN APPLE TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Peel, core& quarter apples; toss with lemon juice& 2 tbsp of the sugar.
• Let stand& toss again so that sugar is completely dissolved.
• In a 10 inch ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
• Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over butter.
• Stir just until sugar is dissolved& remove from heat.
• Place as many apple wedges as you can into the pan.
• They will actually stand on end but thats OK since they will shrink as the tarte cooks.
• Place the pan back over medium heat and cook the apples for 20- 25 minutes or until syrup has formed a thickened caramel.
• Cool slightly.
• Gently roll out pie shell (or puff pastry) to fit slightly larger than the pan.
• Place over the pan, trim edges& bake in preheated 400F oven for 20- 25 minutes or until pastry is crisp.
• Turn out onto a large platter& serve.

CARAMELISED UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE TART - TARTE TATIN

Steps:

• Make a well in the centre of the flour. Put the egg yolks, sugar and a pinch of salt in the centre of the well, then add the butter and the water. Mix with your fingertips until the crumb stage. Use more water at your discretion. The dough must be very smooth. Shape into a ball and chill until firm.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan.When it starts to sizzle add the sugar all at once. Cook over medium heat, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon until caramelised to a deep golden brown. Cook gently once it starts to colour because it burns easily. This will take about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until tepid.
• Arrange the apple halves upright in concentric circles to fill the pan. The apples will shrink during cooking so pack it in tightly. Cook the apples over high heat until caramelised, 15 - 25 minutes. Turn the apples over to caramelise on both sides - use a fork. Remove the pan from heat and let cool 10 - 15 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry into a round 2.5 cm larger than the frying pan. Roll up the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to the pan. Drape the dough over the pan. Tuck the edges of the dough down around the apples. Bake the tart in the heated oven until the crust is golden brown. 20 - 25 minutes.
• Let the tart cool until tepid in the pan then unmould it. Set a serving plate on top of the pan, hold firmly together and invert the two. If the apples stick to the pan, remove and replace on the tart. If any caramel remains, use it on the apples.
• Serve with creme fraiche.

UPSIDE DOWN POTATO & ONION TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400*F.
• Melt the butter in a 9-10 inch ovenproof frying pan (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Add the thyme and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Spread out evenly in the pan.
• Place the potato, oil, cheeses, salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine.
• Top the onion with the potato mixture, spreading out evenly over the onions, and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Turn upside down to serve.
• Note: For an extra cheesy tart, double the amount of mozzarella.

CHERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
• Prepare cake mix according to directions on the box and pour into prepared 9x13 pan.
• Mix remaining ingredients until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.
• Pour or gently spoon cherry mixture over batter.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes.
• Serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.