Summer tarts

Shortcrust pastry

• 125g cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 210g plain flour

• pinch salt

• 1 egg

• 25ml cold water

1. I make this pastry two ways, either on the benchtop by hand or in a stand mixer. Bench top: chop the butter through the flour and salt in a pile on the bench (a metal pastry scraper works best). Mix the egg into the water. Make a well in the centre, then add the egg and water and bring together carefully into a dough. Stand mixer: Place the butter, flour and salt in the bowl. Fit with the paddle attachment. Mix until the butter is smeared throughout the flour. You don’t want it mixed too thoroughly – there should still be visible butter. Mix the egg and the water together, then add to the butter and flour and mix until the dough comes together.

2. Refrigerate the pastry for 20 minutes or so.

Toppings

• 60g Dijon mustard

• 500g-1kg heirloom tomatoes of different shapes and colours, thinly sliced, or zucchini, thinly sliced

• flaked salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 100g goat’s or ewe’s cheese (hard or soft, whichever you prefer)

• a little olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 210°C . Line a 40cm x 32cm baking tray with baking paper.

2. Divide the pastry in half and roll out into two 40cm x 20cm rectangles. Lift carefully onto the tray and roll the edges over to make a pretty border.

3. Lightly spread the mustard on each pastry rectangle, then cover with an overlapping pattern of tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then crumble or slice the goat’s cheese sparingly over the top. Sprinkle with a little oil. Repeat the process on the other pastry rectangle with thinly sliced zucchini.

4. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove, then slide carefully onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

5. Place on a platter to serve at the table or slice and plate individually. This is best cut with a sharp serrated knife.