Something special Eating In
This is the ideal solution for
when you want
to impress lunch guests, but don’t want to spend hours slaving
over a hot oven. It’s perfect for
vegetarians, but meat eaters will love it too
The Recipe
Total time: 1 hour Serves 6
1 courgette, sliced thickly 1 aubergine, cut into chunks 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, roughly chopped 1 red onion, sliced 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 sheet ready-to-use puff pastry 200g ricotta cheese 1 egg, beaten 5 sprigs of thyme Olive oil for drizzling and serving
oven at 200°/Gas 6 for 30 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool, but don’t turn off the oven. Turn the heat up to 220°/Gas 7.
1.
the puff pastry rectangle, being careful not to slice through the pastry all the way.
2. 3.
Prick the puff pastry rectangle with a fork and brush with beaten egg.
4. 5.
Tip
The vegetables can be roasted the night before and kept in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature before using
Spread the ricotta inside the rectangle and pile the vegetables on top. Don’t worry if it looks untidy, that’s part of its charm.
Season the tart with salt and pepper and decorate with the thyme.
Drizzle with a little oil and serve warm with a green salad and crusty bread. Hand your guests a pizza cutter or knife and let them help themselves.
6. 7.
Put back into the oven for 15 minutes, or until the pastry has risen and turned golden.
Unroll the sheet of pastry onto a lightly oiled baking tray. Using a knife, cut a frame inside
Put the vegetables, onion and garlic in a roasting tin, drizzle lightly with olive oil and roast in the
Charles Secrett is managing director of Secretts farm in Milford. Secretts Farm Shop off ers a
LOCAL HERO
glorious array of vegetables, as well as salads and fruit, picked on the farm or delivered fresh from market each day. They are an established favourite with Surrey chefs.
to get the best out of the veg used in our seasonal tart. Charles says:
‘July is a wonderful time for veg. It seems that vegetables that come into season at the same time always taste great together. Make sure your courgettes are about 15cm long, an even diameter all the way along and have a fresh, vibrant colour. Aubergines should be fi rm and, like courgettes, retain a little of the stalk when you buy them. The chefs we work with tell us that irregularly shaped Spanish or Italian peppers have a stronger, sweeter fl avour than the usual Dutch variety. Tomatoes should be a strong colour. You can smell their sweetness when they are ripe. Make sure you don’t overcook your summer vegetables – roasting them to within an inch of their lives will destroy much of their delicate fl avour.’
Secretts of Milford, Hurst Farm, Chapel Lane, Milford, Surrey GU8 5HU 01483 520500
asked Charles how
GRUBMAGAZINE.CO.UK
JULY 2011
27
PHOTOGRAPH: Jean Cazals
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