Spiral Vegetable Tart
Preparation time: 1 hour plus 90 minutes resting time (for pastry)
Cooking time: 45 minutes
- 1 quantity cheese pastry (see recipe below)
- 4 tablespoons baby spinach and macadamia pesto (see recipe below)
- 7 bocconcini, sliced into 5 pieces
- 500g/1.1lbs. zucchini
- 500g/1.1lbs. eggplant
- 2 carrots
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
Tip: It's a bit easier if you buy vegetables that are all around the same thickness. But don't worry if you can't, you can trim them if need be.
Step 1 - Take your cheese pastry. Roll out into a circle and then place in a flan tin. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Dock the base and then line with foil or parchment and fill with baking beads or dried rice. Then blind bake at 200C/400F for 15 minutes.
Step 2 - Take the zucchini and eggplant and use a mandolin on setting two or the middle one to slice the eggplant and zucchini. I then used a vegetable peeler to get the carrot the right thickness as carrot is less flexible and takes longer to cook so the thinner strips work better. If your slices are very different in height you can trim them but make sure to keep the skin on the eggplant and zucchini to get the visual effect.
Step 3 - Spread some pesto on the base of the baked pastry. Top with bocconcini and then start in the centre with a small pieces and curl it around. Alternate with zucchini, eggplant and carrot. I found that the carrots helped to bind the vegetables together as the carrot had more moisture. This just makes it easier to make the tart and hold it together.
Step 4 - Drizzle with olive oil and then bake for 45 minutes or until done. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Cheese Pastry
- 90g/3ozs. cheddar cheese
- 160g/5.65ozs. cold butter, cut into cubes
- 90g/3ozs. plain flour (I made this half regular and half wholemeal flour)
- 40g/1.41ozs. cornflour (fine cornstarch)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-4 tablespoons cold water
Step 1 - Place the cheese in a food processor and process until finely grated. Add the butter, two flours and salt and pulse until sand-like. Then add the water and pulse until just come together. Shape into a ball and flatten to a round. Cover in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Macadamia & Baby Spinach Pesto
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 50g/1.7ozs. parmesan cheese
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Step 1 - Blend all ingredients together until it becomes a smooth paste.