The Scottish Mail on Sunday - You
TOMATO, FETA & THYME TART
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ROOFTOP PICNIC FOR 6 Living in the city we crave open spaces, so when the temperature is a notch above zero we race to eat our meals outside. Get prepping, grab a basket and blanket, and find a patch of dappled light in the park or, even better, a roof with a view. SERVES 6 butter, for greasing 375g all-butter shortcrust pastry 3 medium eggs 200ml double cream 12 thyme sprigs, leaves picked 125g soft goat’s cheese 150g feta, crumbled into small bits 400g cherry tomatoes, a mix of colours and varieties, halved sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C/ gas 6. Lightly grease a deep, fluted, 25cm loose-based tart tin. Roll out the pastry to slightly bigger than the tin with enough to hang over the edges. Lay the pastry in the tin and gently press it into the edges and ridges of the tin. Prick a few times over the base with a fork.
Put a large sheet of baking parchment on top of the pastry, so it has a large overhang, and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the paper and the beans and bake for 5 minutes more, until golden. Remove from the oven, trim away the overhanging pastry and set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Mix the eggs, cream and thyme leaves with some salt and pepper, then add the goat’s cheese. Use a whisk to mix it all, breaking up the goat’s cheese so it’s not in huge lumps. Pour the mixture into the pastry case. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the tart and arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up and in concentric circles, pushing them down gently so they don’t sit proud of the liquid. Bake for 25 minutes, until the filling mixture is set and turning golden in places.