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.

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.