Josh Smalley’s Mediterranean Tartlets

Mediterranean Tartlets

Ingredients:

For the Pastry

250g plain flour

150g butter, cubed

50g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp water

For the Pesto

60g pine nuts

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 small clove garlic (or 1 tsp garlic paste)

30g fresh basil leaves

50g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

40-50mL olive oil

Mediterranean Veg

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 small courgette

1 small aubergine

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 clove garlic crushed (or 1 tsp garlic paste)

Salt and pepper

For the Fillling

100g full fat cream cheese

Cherry tomatoes, halved (enough for 2-3 halves per tart)

60-80g Gouda, grated

Fresh basil leaves to serve

Method:

For the Sponge

1. Get yourself 8-10 x 4 inch/10cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tins. Preheat oven to Gas 6/ 200C/ 180C Fan.
2. For the pastry, add the flour, butter and cheese to a bowl and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Beat the egg yolks with the water, then add to the mixture and mix together to form a dough. (Alternatively do all this in a food processor)
3. Roll the pastry out on a floured work surface to pound thickness (a few mm), then cut out discs larger than the fluted tins (I used a 4.5 inch/ 11.5cm cutter) and transfer to the fluted tins and press it into the base and sides, leaving a slight lip around the edge of the tins to allow for a little shrinkage. Prick the base with a fork and then set the tins in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. (Note: There’s probably more pastry than you need here!!)
4. Line the cases with baking parchment and baking beans, sit on a baking sheet and bake blind for 10-12 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another 4-5 minutes until the cases are nice and golden.
5. Set the pastry cases aside whilst you prepare the filling.

For the Pesto

1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for a few minutes until lightly golden.
2. Add the pine nuts to a bowl along with all the other ingredients and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. Alternatively do this in a food processor.
3. Add a little more oil if needed for right consistency. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl.

For the Mediterranean Veg

1. Cut the courgette and aubergine down the middle, then sliced into thin slices (few mm). Chop the red pepper into similar size pieces. Cut the red onion in half and slice thinly as well. Crush the garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and then add the aubergine and courgette and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the pepper, red onion, garlic and salt and pepper, then cook for a further 5 minutes until the peppers and onion are just cooked. Ideally want moisture driven off so it’s easy to spoon and won’t make pastry soggy. Set aside.

For the Filling Assembly

1. Add the cream cheese to a bowl. Stir in one heaped tablespoon of the pesto, then spoon or pipe this over the base of each tartlet (enough to spread over the base).
2. Add spoonfuls of the mediterranean veg into each tartlet, then top with cherry tomato halves and grated Gouda.
3. Bake the tarts in the oven at Gas 5/190C/170C fan for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the veg is beginning to colour and tomatoes are cooked.
4. Transfer the tartlets to a cooling rack to cool a little, then onto the serving platter.
5. Finish with a little drizzle of pesto and fresh basil leaves.