FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Tomato & Goat's Cheese Tartlets

I love goat's cheese and I love tomatoes! So, when I found myself hunting for a simple yet delicious lunch recently, I knew that these would be perfect. Not only are they simple to make, these little tartlets are filled with simple flavours and that is what I love. Infused with hearty specks of thyme, the tangy goat's cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes rest happily in the embrace of cloud-like puff pastry. Perfect for light lunches in these gloriously sunny months.

Makes 8

What you'll need:

2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry

300g cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

150g goat's cheese

Bunch thyme

Salt and pepper

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 200C and grease a muffin pan well using butter or oil.

Cut each sheet of pastry into 4 even squares and push each square into a muffin hole. Chop off any excess and press down any folds. Prick with a fork multiple times and pop them into the oven for 15 minutes.

Combine the tomatoes with the oil, red wine vinegar and a good lashing of salt and pepper. Set aside for now.

After 15 minutes, remove pastry cases from the oven and use a spoon to squash any puffiness out of the base and edges. Press the spoon a bit harder on the edges as this will reduce any further puffiness around the sides. Bake for another 5 minutes or until just coloured. Remove from oven and then carefully remove each case from the pan and place onto a baking tray. (You may need to run a butter knife around the edges to get them out.) If needed, use the spoon to flatten any big air bubbles.

Crumble an even amount of goat's cheese into each tart shell and sprinkle a few thyme leaves on top. Divide the tomato evenly between the tarts and press them in lightly so they don't fall out. Spoon the remaining liquid from the tomatoes over top of the tarts. Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the tomatoes have shrivelled a little.

Sprinkle with thyme and enjoy!

TOMATO & BOCCONCINI TART

Tomato & Bocconcini Tart


THIS tart has long been a favourite of mine. It gets better and better every time I make it and I think I've developed it to its best now. I love tomatoes and they are definitely the star of the show here but the cheese and basil oil need a big round of applause too. The bocconcini adds a beautifully cheesy, chewy element while the oil gives just the right kind of herby sweetness. Tomatoes are best friends with salt and pepper so don't forget to season well!


What you'll need:
1 sheet shortcrust pastry
4 tomatoes (mixed type), sliced
120g bambini bocconcini, each ball halved
1/4 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper


What to do:
Place the basil leaves and oil in a blender and blend until combined. Let it sit overnight. (See note.) The next day put this mixture through a sieve and strain the oil into a bowl. Press the leaves to get as much oil out as possible and then add a teaspoon of the leftover basil leaves to the oil. Set aside.


Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a springform cake pan and line it with pastry. Chop off any excess pastry and patch up any holes. Put baking paper on top of the pastry and fill with rice. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the paper with rice. Bake for a further 10 minutes to cook the base.


Remove the pastry from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a serving or oven-proof plate. (Moving the tart now means you won't have to worry about breaking it when it's finished... Preparation is everything!) Drizzle the pastry with basil oil and scatter with some bocconcini halves. Layer the tomato slices on top and add more bocconcini. Add another layer of tomato and then more bocconcini. Keep layering until you've run out of tomatoes and dot some extra bocconcini on top. Drizzle with more basil oil and season well with salt and pepper.


Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish with rocket leaves or snow pea sprouts and give another generous drizzle of oil. Enjoy!


NOTE: If you don't have time to make the basil oil the night before, simply blanch the basil in boiling water for a minute or so and then whizz it up and strain.

FINGER LICKIN' FRIDAY

Tomato & Chorizo Salad

This is definitely my favourite salad. I am absolutely mad about tomatoes! I've always loved them in their purest form or with only a couple of components to boost their flavour. This tomato and chorizo salad features two absolutely amazing ingredients tossed together to create a simple, light, flavoursome dish. Make sure you grab a crunchy baguette to pile the salad onto and soak up the juices!

What you'll need:

1 chorizo sausage, sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes

300g cherry or heirloom tomatoes

2 shallots/spring onions, peeled and sliced

Salt and pepper

Sherry vinegar, 

Flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

Goat's cheese, crumbled (optional)

Olive oil

What to do:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic and chorizo. Stir occasionally. (It's nice to let the chorizo caramelise a little by not stirring it too often.) Meanwhile, chop the large tomatoes into chunks and the small ones into halves. Pop them into a bowl with the shallots. Season well with salt and pepper.

Once your Chorizo has cooked, add a splash of sherry vinegar to the pan and give it a stir. Pop the chorizo, garlic and pan juices into the bowl with the tomatoes and toss to combine.

Add a glug of olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar and a sprinkle of parsley. Add the goats cheese feta if you want it. (I love goat's cheese but it is strong so taste it before adding in order to determine how much you want.)

Slice up the baguette and serve!

NOTE: If you don't have sherry vinegar and can't find any at your local shops just add equal parts white vinegar and sherry. If you also have trouble finding goat's cheese, feta is fine to substitute. This recipe has been adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe.