Bacon, Leek & New Potato Tart

I was trying to use up a mish mash of ingredients in the fridge and this tart was the result.  I love bacon and leeks together and I put in the anya potatoes as I didn't want them to go to waste. It was lovely warm with a watercress salad and zingy dressing.

The Recipe

1 quantity of spelt pastry
a few anya pototaes, cooked for about 5 minutes then sliced
1 leek sliced
a few rathers of bacon, sliced and fried or grilled
1 small tub of double cream
1 egg
a good handful of freshly grated parmesan
about 1/2 a log of goats cheese (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 175c.   Make up a quantity of spelt pastry and line a rectangular or circular tart tin (with removable base).

2. Place the potatoes, leek and bacon over the base of the tart.  Beat together the cream and egg and mix over the parmesan.  Pour over the other ingredients in the tart.  Crumble over the goats cheese and season with pepper.

3. Bake for around 20 minutes until the filling is firm and slightly browned.

Mediterranean Style Tart

This tart is based on one I saw in a copy of Jamie magazine last summer. The flavour combinations are delicious - the thick tomatoey sauce against the salty feta and anchovies.  I know a lot of people have a marmite reaction to anchovies - I'm definitely in the love category to the point that I ask for extra ones on my pizza. If you don't share the anchovy love then you could easily not include them and substitute for something else.  I think the original recipe used a shortcrust pastry but I used my usual spelt pizza dough pastry whose recipe can be found here.  I love this pastry as it doesn't contain any butter and you don't need to blind bake it.  The tart is lovely served warm with a nice green salad. 


The Recipe


olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tin plum tomatoes
a sprinkle of thyme (preferably fresh but I had to use dried)
1 tbspn tomato puree
around half a block of feta
around 100g kalamata olives, stoned
tin of anchovy fillets


1.  Preheat the oven to 200c.  Make the spelt pastry and line a round or rectangular loose bottomed flan tin with it.  
2.  Fry the onion and garlic in some olive oil until softened.  Add the tomatoes, thyme and puree and season with pepper.  Don't add salt unless you really want to as the anchovies and feta are very salty.  Simmer for around 20-30 mins until the sauce has reduced down. Leave to cool slightly.
3. Place the tomato sauce over the base of the pastry. Crumble the feta over the tomatoes and then scatter over the olives. Finally place the anchovies over them.  Finally drizzle with olive oil before baking for around 30 minutes.

Courgette & Fennel Tart

This is a very quick post as I am running round like the proverbial fly this morning trying to fit in 101 things before I go away with work shortly. So this is another recipe from my favourite Popina - I am going to move on to pastures new next week though and break out another recipe book.  It is a great summer tart - perfect for lunch outside or a picnic in the park.  Talking of parks I'm still drying out after spending last night watching The Killers in Hyde Park - come on heatwave - hurry up and arrive!


The recipe can be found in the Popina Book of Baking.

Mjuk toscakaka or Amazing Swedish Cake

For this month's Random Recipe Challenge Dom at Belleau Kitchen told us to dig deep into baking books/sections and pick a baking recipe. This obviously suited me perfectly! After gathering a tottering pile of books I picked at hazard The Art of the Tart which is a sweet little book by Tamasin Day-Lewis. I've made a couple of the savoury tarts from this book but the opening at page 80 was for this Swedish tart recipe. This is I think my absolute new favourite recipe which would be as apt for a dinner dessert as it would be with a mid afternoon cup of tea. This tart shaped cake is moist yet light with the most delicious crunchy, fudgey flaked almond topping.


The Recipe


150g butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp water


Topping
30g flaked almonds
60g butter
5 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp milk


1. Preheat oven to 180 c and butter a 22cm tart tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one by one, then add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and baking powder, beat thoroughly, then add the water and continue beating until smooth. Put the mixture into the tart tin, smooth the top and bake for about 30 mins. Remove from the oven and then turn the temperature up to 200 c.
3. For the topping, put all the ingredients together into a saucepan and heat until the mixture bubbles. Spoon the mixture over the tart and return to oven to brown for 5 mins.

Roast Baby Potato, Spring Onion & Bacon Tarlets

I got this recipe from a weekend supplement ages ago and have never got round to making it until this weekend. The original doesn't have bacon in - I thought it would make a nice addition. I think it originates from Popina Book of Baking. I thought they'd be really fiddly to make but they were actually quite straightforward. I love the spelt pastry this recipe uses - it is so tasty - I think it is actually more of a pizza dough.

The Recipe

Spelt Pastry

220g wholemeal spelt flour

1 tsp dried instant yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

1. Grease six 10cm loose-based fluted tartlet tins. Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6.

2. Mix the flour, yeast and a large pinch of salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the oil, egg and 60ml of warm water.

3. Draw everything together with your hands until you get a soft dough. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky (add more flour if it is too sticky). Roll out until 3mm thick. Keep on one side until needed.

Tartlets

500g baby new potatoes, halved

4 tbsp olive oil

bunch of spring onions, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

70g cheddar, grated

170ml double cream

4 rashers good quality bacon, cut into small pieces

1 egg

1. Put the potatoes and oil in a roasting tin and season well. Toss the potatoes until evenly coated. Cover the tray with tin foil and roast in the preheated oven for 20 mins. Remove and leave to cool for 10 mins.

2. Reduce oven temp to 170c/gas mark 3. Stir the spring onions, garlic and cheese into the potatoes and mix well. Fry the bacon until cooked and add to the mixture.

3. Line the tartlet tins with the spelt pastry.

4. Mix together the cream and the egg in a bowl, then divide half among the tartlet shells. Spread the vegetable/bacon mixture over the tartlets, then pour in the remaining cream and egg mixture.

5. Bake for 25 mins or until the filling looks golden. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then serve warm.

No Pastry Pear Tarts

I came across this recipe in Easy Living. I think these tarts look quite sophisticated but were so quick and easy to make. I like the fact they don't have pastry as it makes them lighter than some tarts.

The Recipe

180g unsalted butter

50g plain flour

180g icing sugar

100g ground almonds

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

5 egg whites

2 small ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 200c. Lightly grease 6 tart tins (7cm) with removable bottoms.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan and gently cook for 1-2 mins until it has turned golden.

3. Sift icing sugar and flour into a mixing bowl. Stir in ground almonds and lemon zest.

4. Lightly beat the egg whites with a fork until just foamy and pour into bowl with dry ingredients. Add warm butter and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.

5. Pour mixture into tart tins, filling each to 3/4 full and top with pieces of pear. Bake for 5 mins then reduce heat to 180c and cook for a further 10-15 mins until golden and risen.

6. Allow to cool in tins for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Ricotta & Tomato Tarts

I thought I'd bake something savoury for a change. These would be nice picnic food....if we get some nice weather....

The recipe:

375g puff pastry (ready rolled/ready made)

250g ricotta

100g grated Gruyere

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

slices of baby plum tomatoes

olive oil to drizzle

fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat oven to 200c/180c fan/gas 6. Roll the pastry out. Cut out 10cm diameter circles and place into a greased muffin tray. Make sure the pastry doesn't overlap and there are no holes in the base.

2. Mix the ricotta, Gruyere, egg yolks and mustard together. Season and spoon into the cases. Finish each tart with 2 slices of tomato and a sprinkling of thyme leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is brown and filling is set.

Tarte aux Pommes

I was in France this weekend so didn't actually do any baking myself. However our lovely friends did make a very French, very delicious Tarte aux Pommes. I asked them for the recipe and here is what I got.

Recipe:

1. Peel, core and slice 3 apples (eating). Then fry the slices in butter with a couple of teaspoons of sugar until slightly soft (do this slowly and gently so they don't burn).

2. Roll out the pastry and put in a tart tin. (They used ready made sweet dessert pastry.)

3. Drain the apple slices and then lay them on the pastry so they overlap.

4. Bake for about half an hour at approx 200c.

5. Before serving brush with apricot jelly to glaze.

Picture on its way.....

I'm having camera problems and the pic won't load.....