Tart up your summer
This has been such a spectacularly warm summer, and the sunny days seem set to continue. It provides a good opportunity to make the most of the produce it provides and at this time of year corn and tomatoes are to the fore. With this combination of salad and tart, I have considered the flavours that work together.
These can be made in advance to be easily transported to the beach, lake, river, or park for a picnic, and leftovers are brilliant as a work lunch. Serves: 4-6 Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 79 minutes
Pastry:
❚ 11⁄3 cups plain flour
❚ 120g butter, chopped
❚ 1⁄3 cup finely grated parmesan
❚ 1 egg yolk
Filling:
❚ 1 tablespoon olive oil
❚ 1 onion, chopped
❚ 3 cloves garlic, crushed ❚ 350g ku¯ mara, chopped into 3cm pieces
❚ 1⁄4 cup cream plus 1 tablespoon
❚ 4 whole eggs
❚ 2 egg yolks
❚ 2⁄3 cup grated parmesan
❚ 1⁄4 cup chopped parsley
❚ 350g cooked, shredded chicken
For the pastry, pulse the flour, butter and parmesan in a food processor until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine. Tip on to the bench and press and roll together into a dough log. Chill in the fridge in plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. When the pastry has rested, slice off 1⁄2 cm rounds and press them into the base and sides of a 25cm loosebottomed tart tin, patching as you go. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and cook for five minutes. Add the garlic and ku¯ mara and cook together for 15 minutes until the ku¯ mara can be pierced through with a knife. Add one tablespoon of the cream and stir to dislodge any tasty bits sticking to the pan. Remove from the heat and cool. Put the remaining cream, eggs, egg yolks, parmesan and parsley in a food processor and whizz to combine.
Line the base and sides of the pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans or raw rice. Cook the pastry for 12 minutes, remove the baking paper and weights, and continue cooking for a further 12 minutes.
Spread the ku¯ mara and onion mixture and shredded chicken evenly over the pastry base and pour over the egg mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 170C and cook for 25-30 minutes until the tart is golden. Leave in the tin for transportation and serve with tomato chutney and corn, tomato and avocado salad. Serves: 6 Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking : 8 minutes
❚ 3 cobs corn
❚ 350g mixed tomatoes, small ones halved, large ones quartered
❚ 1⁄2 orange capsicum, chopped
❚ 1 avocado, halved and chopped
❚ 1⁄2 small red onion, finely chopped (reserve a little to garnish)
❚ 2 spring onions, sliced
❚ 1⁄4 cup chopped parsley (reserve a little to garnish)
❚ 1⁄4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
❚ 2 tablespoons basil pesto
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the corn and cook for eight minutes. Drain, refresh under cold running water and, once cold enough to handle, slice the kernels down on to a bread board. Put the corn in a large bowl and chill for half an hour. Add the remaining ingredients except the mayo and pesto, and fold together.
Mix the mayo and pesto in a small bowl and stir through the salad. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with remaining parsley and red onion to serve.