Ingredients:
6 ounces ground walnuts
8 ounces plain white flour
5 ounces butter
2 tablespoons tahini
1 egg yolks
1 pinch salt
3 -4 tablespoons cold water
1 1/4 lbs bell peppers, mainly red
2 medium eggplants
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons pesto sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
6 ounces goat cheese or 6 ounces mozzarella cheese
olive oil, for roasting
Directions:
Slice the butter into a mixing bowl containing flour and salt.
Rub the butter lightly into the flour with your fingertips, to obtain a buttery, breadcrumb-like consistency.
Grind or crush the walnuts fairly finely, then stir these into the butter/flour mixture.
Next add the tahini, egg and water and mix until everything binds together.
Divide the dough into the number of tarts you are making.
Roll each portion into a ball and pat down a little.
Chill in the fridge for about half an hour while you get on with preparing the vegetables.
Roll the pastry out on a floured surface until it is about 3/16″ thick.
Because it is so short (i. e. buttery), it may be difficult to line your lightly oiled flan tin with one piece, but you can push it into place with your fingers.
Pre-bake for 15-20 minutes in a moderate to low oven, or until the pastry has become quite firm, but is not yet browning.
Slice the eggplants into circles measuring about 3/8″ thick.
Quarter these.
Toss salt over the eggplants and leave for half an hour to sweat.
Afterwards rinse them and leave to drain in a colander, either pressing or patting out excess moisture.
Spread out on a baking tray and massage generously with olive oil.
Season with a little dried oregano or basil and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring half way through.
While the eggplants are roasting, you can begin preparing the bell peppers.
Slice these into 3/8″ wide strips the full length of each pepper.
As with the eggplant, place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with a little black pepper and oregano or basil.
Cook for 30-40 minutes at 400F.
Peel and finely slice about two-thirds of the garlic, and stir this into the cooking peppers when you give them a midway stir.
When the roast vegetables are ready they can be combined, and the excess olive oil drained off and kept to add to the cream cheese later – or for making a vinaigrette.
If you intend to assemble the tart later on, keep the roast vegetables in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
Final preparation: Crush the rest of the garlic and mix this into the cream cheese along with half the chopped fresh basil, pesto, tomato puree, a teaspoonful of Dijon mustard and the reserved roasting oil.
Season with a little salt and black pepper.
Spread out this mixture evenly in the bottom of the walnut pastry cases.
Mix the rest of the basil with the roast vegetables, and spread them over the cream cheese mixture.
Slice the goat’s cheese and/or soft mozzarella into generous rounds, perhaps averaging 3/16″ thick.
Place six to eight pieces of cheese decoratively on top of each tart.
Place in a pre-heated moderate oven (350F) for 30-40 minutes – as long as it takes for the tart to warm up and the cheese to melt and brown a little.
When the cheese is looking an inviting golden brown in patches and all is hot – even sizzling – remove from the oven.
Slip off the edges of the flan tin (if detachable) before serving.
Serve with a green salad, and perhaps new potatoes fresh with garden mint.
Servings: 8
Time preparation: 40 min.
Time total: 160 min.