Next week for example, I'm taking on my second catering task. My sister and I will be providing food for 100 guests at my mom's first annual garden party. We'll be serving up tiny sandwiches, caprese kabobs, and yummy finger desserts. So I can at least promise a few recipes in advance that will be great for your upcoming summer get-togethers.
But first, a long awaited tarte recipe. This is not the same as a quiche (you can see my first quiche and crust recipe here), it's a tarte, because it contains more veggies than egg mixture, a quiche is slightly more eggy, but to me, they are really the same thing. I made this tarte for Christmas dinner, but I thought it was still appropriate for Easter, so here it is, 'The All-Seasons Tarte'.
notes on the recipe:
Of course, I made my own crust, but it's alright to buy a pie or pastry crust form the store. Prepping and cooking could take close to two hours, and this on definitely calls for a grocery list, but it is SO worth it. This tarte is all the reward you will need in the end.
The All-Seasons Tarte
(Published in 'Plenty' by Yotam Ottolenghi as the 'Very Full Tart')
Ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 5 tablesoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium eggplants (aubergine), cut into 1-inch dice
- 2 medium sweet potato (kumara) , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 medium zucchini (courgette), cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 medium onions, cut in half and then cut in thin wedges
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 purchased or homeade pie or shortcrust pastry
- 8 fresh thyme sprigs, picked
- 4 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 4 ounces Feta cheese
- 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
step one.
Preheat oven to 450?F (230?C). Cover a large baking sheet with foil.
step two.
Cut peppers in half and discard seeds and stem. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and place on one side of the prepared sheet pan.
step three.
On the opposite side of the baking sheet, combine the eggplant with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 12 minutes, then add the sweet potatoes to the eggplant and stir to combine. Roast for another 12 minutes, then add zucchini, return to oven and roast 12 more minutes. After a total roasting time of 36 minutes the peppers should be charred in places and the other veggies golden and quite fragrant. Remove from oven and immediately cover the peppers with foil. Once the peppers are cool, the skin will easily slip off. Remove the skins and cut into 1″ pieces.
step four.
While the veggies are roasting, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions with the bay leaves and a half teaspoon of salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, soft and sweet. Discard the bay leaves and set aside.
step five.
Reduce oven temperature to 375?F (160?C). Line a 11-inch shallow tart pan (or a 9-inch deep tart pan) with pastry crust. Blind-bake the crust by lining it with parchment paper, then fill with dried beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans (or rice), and bake for another 5-8 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
step six.
Spread the onions over the bottom of baked tart crust, then top with roasted vegtables. Scatter with half the thyme and dot with small chunks of both cheeses, then the tomato halves, cut-side up. Whisk the eggs and cream with a half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and pour into the tart; the tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme on top. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the filling sets and turns golden. Rest for at least 10 minutes, then remove the tart from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.
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| enjoy! |
