I am a recovering entertainer. Which is actually misleading as it suggests that I am trying to curb the habit and have sought help and/or advice for excessive entertaining. I haven’t and every month my husband tsks at the food bills and the array of people that come over for a meal or tea or lunch (not breakfast though, that’s too early). I can’t help myself. When someone emails me to ask if they can pop by I get all excited and start planning food. It’s a compulsion. A sickness. And no I don’t need any help thankyou very much.
I can trace back this determination to entertain and plan parties to very old dredged up memories from childhood when, at my 7th birthday party, I would have a tantrum at my Mother yelling “You’re serving things all wrong!”. Imagine the sight of a small child with an Anna Wintour haircut screaming directions-not so cute, more scary. Or think of Franck Eggelhoffer, the Wedding Organiser from Father of the Bride in a pint sized and less charming form. And only I was allowed to put together the lolly bags as I knew exactly which lollies each child would like. And I’ve a sneaking suspicion that “control freak child from hell” has a picture of me next to it in the dictionary.
I like to think that I’ve relaxed somewhat, knowing that a stressed and tantrum throwing host is not a good thing and now force myself to relax. These tiny little tarts are ideal cocktail party nibbly food or food for a morning or afternoon tea. They are best when warm from the oven, as I always think there’s something magical about hot pastry but cool pastry loses it mojo. As for the tomato on the top, I was torn, about whether I should top the tarts with the tomato before or after they were put in the oven. Once they’re baked they collapse a little, like a semi dried tomato so I’ve shown both, one with the baked tomato top and one with the fresh tomato half. You can choose whichever the inner Franck in your prefers.
Franck Eggelhoffer-organised.
I do concede that some habits haven’t died though and I maintain that Franck Eggelhoffer is the real hero of Father of the Bride and that entertainer extraordinaire Colin Cowie is a demi god in my books.
Ricotta, Chive & Tomato mini tarts
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Makes 18-20 tarts
- 1 sheet of bought shortcrust pastry (or 1.5 sheets if you can’t be bothered re-rolling the scraps)
- 125g of ricotta
- 50g of tasty or cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly cut chives plus longer pieces to decorate, 40x roughly 1 inch pieces
- 1 egg
- 10 dainty cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 mini cupcakes/tart baking tray with holes lightly greased with butter
1. Preheat oven to 210c. Using a round cutter, cut out rounds of slightly defrosted shortcrust pastry and place in lightly greased baking tray holes. You may have to re-roll the ends a couple of times if you’re only using 1 sheet of pastry.
2. Mix together the two cheeses, egg and chives in a bowl. Top with tomato half if desired (or put the tomato on after its had its time in the oven). Spoon 1/2 teaspoon full into each case. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pastry and cheese is golden.
3. Decorate with chive pieces. I did them in a “crossed sword” pattern.
If you enjoyed this post, why not share it with your friends?
What is NQN up to now?
NQN on Facebook
RSS
28 Comments | Add your own
Your food and your pictures are always so impressive. Do you do it for a living? I want to thank you again for your help with our trip. I intend to post a trip report about it soon on Fodors and will send you a link. Thanks!
There is a little Franck in all of us! Some a little more than others…I am proud to say I am also a whole lot like Franck. And I feel sad when people don’t eat. Do I need help?
A very entertaining read and I have to ask, do the fresh tomato halves fall off easily? Fingerfood is bad news for me. I keep eating and eating and don’t know how much i have eaten!
Yum! I think I prefer the slightly cooked tomatoes… but I wouldn’t say no to any! And I agree with Maria – I always eat about 4 times more than I should with fingerfood! Also, I have tagged you for a meme (I know you already have the award but your site is one of my favourites so I have sent it again!)
I could easily eat Too Many of them lol.
Wow, one of my closest friends worships Colin Cowie! She’s a an events person…you should soo get together, you food her everything else!
Hee hee little tantrum child from hell hee hee these tarts sure looks very tasty though
Oh my – those look so so good – i’m gonna have to try these fer sher!
Hi I really enjoy reading your is it blogs? i am still learning the computer jargon but you are such an entertaining writer so thanks !!! I am addicted to anything about food, and like Maria feel sad when people don’t eat. It could be cultural I am Italian, maybe Maria is too!?
LOL – I am not sure which is scarier – mini-Franck or mini Anna Wintour! These are very cute. Teo great minds think alike – I made crab mini quiches for a barbecue on Saturday which I’ll post about sometime soon.
I love tomato tarts – yum! Merry Xmas to you and yours – I will be AWOL till mid-Jan. Have a great new year.
Delightful! This is definitely a no-fuss brunch option, perhaps with some crispy bacon and a few corn fritters!
I was working in Conference Department when I noticed that the chef put salt grains on the tray and cut tomatoes the baked these. He said that it will help to absorb the water and keep the tomatoes dry. Do you know how it work? Did these tomatoes on top make the pastry wet?
Those look fab, full of my favourite flavours. I especially love that first photo.
Oooh those look yummy! And they aren’t too difficult to make either, which makes it even better.
x
Hi Barbara-I wish! Whilst I’d love to, unfortunately it’s a hobby fuelled by passion and not funds
Oh great, please do! I’m so glad it went well.
Hi Maria-I totally concur, everyone definitely has an inner Franck. No if you need help then I do too and I don’t want any help
If you press them down onto the filling when it’s out of the oven it will make a little cushion for it. I didn’t find any stray tomato halves though. Yes I have the same problem with finger food
Hi Annie-Yeah the slightly cooked ones won me over in the end too. Cool thankyou so very much!
That’s so sweet of you!
Hi Miss Honey-It seems like it happens to the best of us
Hi Reemski-He is a god, did you see what he has done for Oprah’s? I was floored! He had plates made because he couldn’t find the correct shade of green. He is Franck Eggelhoffer (I read that he was the inspiration).
Hi Ffichiban-I realised that it wasn’t good but I couldn’t stop myself
Hi Arundathi-They’re best when warm or hot, I’d love to know what you think of them
Hi Sonia-Thankyou so much!
That’s great to know that you’re so passionate about food. I find it’s a subject that so many cultures are 
Hi Cakelaw-Imagine a combination of the two!
Oh cool, will definitely look forward to reading about that! 
Hi Suzie-Thankyou so much! I hope you have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Years!
Hi Christie-Well there isn’t much that can’t be improved without bacon-even a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I know because I’ve tried it
Hi Lilia-I haven’t tried it myself but I suppose it works by osmosis. The tomato on top doesn’t make it go soggy at all though.
Hi Nicisme-Thankyou so much! That’s very kind of you to say
These look wonderful! Its always easy to overindulge on mini things – they are only small
These look interesting and will be perfect for our Australia Day picnic at the Hanging Rock Races…and once you’re done with Colin, can I have him?!
Hi katie-Thankyou! I know, it’s terrible how you tend to forget how many you’ve eaten
Hi Vanessa-Hanging Rock races sounds very interesting! Is it the Hanging Rock from Picnic at Hanging Rock? I don’t think I could ever be done with Colin
Those little treasures look so incredible and I know will impress the people when I make them for them this holiday season!! Thanks for making me look good – You will however get all the credit
forget the filling–all i need is the pastry (but the filling doesn’t hurt)! so you suffer from excessive entertaining, eh? there are worse things.
and franck is the best part of that movie. 
With this as part of your spread, you must be one mighty fine entertainer! I love the slightly baked looking tomatoes. They look like they’re full of baked tomato flavor. Happy Holidays!
Hi Cathy-fantastic! So glad that you’ll be making them and let me know how they go!
Hi grace-Yes excessive entertainer guilty as charged. Franck was the hero most definitely!
Hi Joy-Thankyou so much!
Yes the more I think about it, I think the slightly cooked tomatoes edged out the uncooked ones – just! Happy Holidays to you too!
Sorry NQN but “control freak child from hell” already has my picture next to it!! Oh so embarrasing family video still exists of my sisters 7th bday party…with me in the background chucking a wobbly because the jelly eating competition was not being supervised correctly..hehehe
Hi Catherine-LOL you sound just like me, and also at your 7th birthday party too!
And incorrect jelly eating competition supervision is also a health and safety matter so you were just being conscientious, like a good hostess 
wauw,,,this is really one of my faves now. how come that these recipes just make you feel straved immediatly,,amazing!
3 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] notquiteniguellaMás recetas [...]
[...] mas info notquiteniguella [...]
[...] spoken before of my tyrannical behaviour as a child. I am a control freak from way back and ever since I could reach the stove, I loved making my mum [...]
Post a Comment