Sorrel, Bacon & Red Onion Tart

Our sorrel plant in the herb garden has suddenly gone mad, and faced with an explosion of the stuff I've been looking around for ways to use it. Sorrel is a tangy, lemony herb which works well with similarly strong flavours such as salmon, omelettes or goats cheese. It also tastes delicious as an accompaniment to bacon, as demonstrated in this great creamy savoury tart. Sorrel is known for its purgative and detoxifying properties, so it's just as healthy as it is tasty. The reason I photographed only two slices of the tart was that it was so good we'd already eaten the rest...

Recipe
Adapted from the one for Sorrel Tart by Tamasin Day-Lewis in her fab book The Art of The Tart. Buy the book on Amazon here 

Serves 8

1 egg, beaten, for pastry
225g ready made shortcrust pastry
6 rashers streaky bacon
200g sorrel, leaves only, washed and stemmed
200g red onions, finely sliced
50g unsalted butter
250ml double cream
2 eggs, plus 1 and a half egg yolks
salt and pepper


1. Turn the oven to 190C (170C fans).  Line a 20cm tart tin with the ready made rolled pastry. Cover the base and sides of the pastry case with baking paper, and then fill the base with ceramic baking beans (or dried beans if easier). Bake blind in the oven for about 15 minutes until the pastry is set.

2. Remove the baking beans and paper, prick all over the base with a fork and bake for another 5 minutes until the pastry is sandy to touch. Then take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack, before brushing with beaten egg.

3. Cut the bacon rashers into quarters. Heat a little oil in a frying pan before adding the bacon pieces. Fry gently until the bacon is cooked but not crispy. Then take off the heat and place the bacon on kitchen roll to get rid of any excess oil. Scatter the bacon pieces over the base of the pastry case.

4. Boil the sorrel in salted water for a few minutes until the sorrel has turned a grey colour, then remove from the water and sieve.


5. At the same time, in a large pan gently saute the chopped red onions over a low heat with 25g of the butter, stirring now and then and covering with a lid. It will take about 25-30 minutes for the onions to be translucent.


6. Heat the sorrel in another pan with the rest of the butter, again over a low heat for about 20 minutes until the greens are wilted. Be careful not to overheat or burn the sorrel or the onions.


7. When both sorrel and onions are ready, mix them together in a large bowl and leave to cool.


8. Meanwhile, season the double cream and beat in the eggs and egg yolks. Add this to the sorrel and onion mixture and stir gently until combined.


9. Pour the filling over the bacon pieces into the pastry case. Bear in mind that you may have a bit of mixture left over depending on the size of your tart tin. Bake in the oven for about 35-45 minutes until a pale golden colour.


10. When baked, leave the tart to cool in it's tin for 10 minutes before taking it out and serving it with green and tomato salads.

This tart was idly baked to the sounds of Grinderman's album Grinderman 2

White Chocolate, Blueberry & Lemon Mascarpone Tart

Mr Eve likened this bake to how he likes his women: sweet, zesty, beautiful and tarty! I'm not complaining at the comparison, for this delicate, rich and summery tart is my most delicious yet. The flaky pastry compliments an unctuous mascarpone filling, whilst a zingy blueberry sauce cuts through the sweet creaminess of the white chocolate, enhancing and balancing the flavours.

This is one of those recipes that's best made the day before and brought out when you're ready to wow. Bear in mind that as it contains an unbaked filling, you'll need to keep the tart in the fridge before and after serving.

Recipe
Pastry recipe adapted from the one for Strawberry Tart by Alison Walker in the latest Country Living Magazine (June 2012), filling inspired by hers also. To buy the magazine and see more recipes, visit their website here: www.countryliving.co.uk  You can also buy the magazine at all good UK newsagents this month.


Serves 8-10

for the sweet shortcrust pastry:
225g plain flour
100g cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons caster sugar
half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten


1. To make the pastry, quickly cut the cold butter into into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the butter and flour, rubbing it in with your fingertips. Alternatively if you have a food processor then you can whizz them together briefly. Either way you want the mixture to be the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.

2. Mix in the sugar and nutmeg, before adding the egg, stirring gently until the mixture begins to cohere.

3. Place the pastry on a floured board, kneading it and adding a few drops of water if need be to encourage it to cling together.

4. Gather into a ball and wrap it with cling film then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. After this time, roll the pastry out onto the floured board, rolling gently until it's the thickness of a 1 pound coin. Add a little more flour if the pastry starts sticking to the board. Get ready a deep 20cm tart tin with a removable base.

6. Carefully roll the pastry up over the rolling pin to help you place it onto the tart tin. Gently press the pastry into the base and sides of the tin and prick the base with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.

7. Turn the oven to 190C (170C fan ovens). Cover the base and sides of the pastry case with baking paper, and then fill the base with ceramic baking beans (or dried beans if easier). Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes until the pastry is set.

8. Remove the baking beans and paper, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the pastry is sandy to touch. Then take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack. When cool, remove the pastry case from the tin and place on a plate.



for the filling:
250g mascarpone cheese
100g white chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons golden syrup
150ml double cream
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

9. To make the filling, gently melt the mascarpone, chocolate and syrup together in a bain mairie (a heatproof bowl over a pan of almost simmering water). Stir briefly when the mixture has melted, then take off the heat and put to one side to cool.

10. Whip the double cream lightly, until it has the same consistency as the mascarpone mixture.

11. Next fold in the lemon zest, and stir, followed by spoonfuls of the double cream. Fold in the rest of the double cream.

12. Carefully pour the filling into the cool pastry case, and place in the fridge to chill overnight.

for the blueberry sauce:
juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small ones
200g blueberries, washed and dried
2 tablespoons golden syrup


13. For the blueberry sauce, heat the lemon juice, syrup and 100g of the blueberries in a pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce, and add a dash more lemon juice if needed.

14. Next you can either use a liquidiser, or do what I did and mash the warmed mixture with a potato masher so that the blueberries have burst all their juices. Stir again, then pass the mixture through a fine sieve with a bowl underneath to catch the sauce. Put the sauce to one side to cool briefly.

15. Finally, take the tart out of the fridge and decorate it with blueberry sauce, plus the remaining blueberries. Serve immediately, with more sauce on the side.

This tart was idly baked while listening to Nick Drake's album Bryter Layter

Leek, Devon Blue Stilton & Pine Nut Tart

Here it is, the recipe that has finally helped me lose my savoury tart virginity. Until recently, I was frightened of tarts. They look so impressive I assumed they must be complex and demanding to bake. But this rustic Leek tart, using ready made puff pastry as I'm far too idle to make my own, is remarkable for its simplicity, and makes for the best ever lunch. Try it and you'll see what I mean. So very tasty!

Recipe
Adapted from the great recipe given by Good To Know magazine, see their recipe at their website here.

Serves 4 (or 2 total greedyguts)

375g ready rolled puff pastry
500g leeks
handful of sorrel
half a handful of lemon thyme
100g-135g of Devon Blue (or other variety) Stilton cheese
50g pine nuts


1. Crumble the cheese and put to one side.

2. Wash and trim the leeks, cutting the large ones lengthways into halves or quarters, before drying on kitchen roll.

3. Spread out the ready rolled pastry, to fit a large baking tray or sheet.

4. Place the leeks and herbs onto the pastry, leaving a border around the edges free.

5. Next sprinkle the stilton cheese and pine nuts over the top.

6. Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg if you like (I didn't bother), and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the pastry has risen and the edges are golden.

7. Serve warm. We ate ours at the garden table in spring sunshine with a green salad and last night's leftover sweet potato mash.

 

This tart was idly baked while listening to the beautiful sounds of Arvo Part's Fratres and Tabula Rasa played by Gil Shaham and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

New Year, New Chocolate & Apricot Tart

Any New Year plans we had were scuppered by coming down with the flu the day before. However, it would've been too depressing not to do ANYTHING vaguely celebratory on New Year's Eve, so in my mildly feverish state I dragged myself into the kitchen and made this delicious tart before hopping back into bed to save my energy for the glass of fizz with Mr Eve at midnight. It's a yummy combination of sweet pastry, apricot jam laced with lemon, and a soft, dark mousseline chocolate topping.

Bear in mind when casting a critical eye over this tart that it was the first time I've ever tried to make pastry, and I had a fever as I made it. So I didn't roll out the pastry thin enough, I overcooked the edges of the tart a little and as I was using a slightly smaller size tart tin I poured a bit too much chocolate filling into the pastry case. But hey, it was my first time at making pastry! And it tasted bloody gorgeous! Happy New Year and here's to a wonderful 2012 all you lovely people!

Recipe
By the talented mistress of tarts, Tamasin Day-Lewis, from her book The Art of the Tart. Buy the book on Amazon here
Serves 8-10

for the sweet pastry:
225g plain flour
75g icing sugar, sifted
2 egg yolks
150g unsalted butter


1. Turn the oven to 200C (180C fan ovens) and get a 25cm or 30cm tart tin.

2. Using a food processor or food mixer, make the pastry by blending the icing sugar, plain flour and butter together.

3. Next add the egg yolks, and blend again until the mixture is well combined.

4. Shape the pastry into a ball and wrap in cling film, before leaving it to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. When the time is up, flour a rolling board and pin, and roll out the pastry so that it lines the tart tin.

6. To prepare to blind bake the chilled pastry circle, cut a circle of greaseproof paper and place it over the circle base, before covering with ceramic baking beans (or kidney beans or any kind of uncooked bean). Blind bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking beans and greaseproof paper.

7. Now prick the base of the pastry with a fork, before putting back in the oven to back for another 5 minutes.

for the filling:
125g apricot jam
juice of half a lemon
180g unsalted butter
180g good dark chocolate
125g caster sugar
4 eggs, room temperature

8. Turn the heat of the oven down to 180C (160C fan ovens) before getting to work on the apricot element. Mix the apricot jam and lemon juice together. Then spread it evenly over the pastry base of the tart.

9. Next, melt the butter and chocolate in a bain mairie, a bowl over a pan of just simmering water. When melted, take the bowl off the heat to allow the mixture to cool a little.

10. Meanwhile, in a larger bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and foamy.

11. Using a wooden or metal spoon gently stir the chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar until just combined.

12. Pour the filling into the pastry case. If your tart case is 25cm as opposed to 30cm, then you won't use all the chocolate filling - more spoonfuls for licking out the bowl I say!

13. Bake the tart for 20 minutes until the chocolate has formed a slight crust.

14. Once baked, leave to cool for a while, before taking out of the tin and scatter flaked almonds ontop if you like. Serve with double cream, creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

This tart was baked while listening to James Brown, The 40th Anniversary Collection