By Lyn Funnell
This is an unusual tart but well worth the effort! Just build up the layers.
Ingredients;
About 10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half.
Do use these as larger tomatoes sliced make too much liquid.
Approx 2 tablesps olive oil to cover the pan.
Seasoning
Approx 4 large potatoes, or a dozen small potatoes, boiled until soft but not breaking up
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 tablesps sugar
2 teasps butter or marge
Approx 5 ozs cheese.
I used 2 Little Sussex cheeses, sliced
1 roll of prepared shortcrust or puff pastry.
The multi award winning Little Sussex is a delicious soft sheep milk cheese with an edible white rind.
It has a mild, delicate flavour when young which becomes stronger and more flavoursome with age as the cheese matures in its packaging.
At 80 grams Little Sussex is very unassuming, but is full of flavour, texture and character.
CHEESE FACT
We mature Little Sussex for six days after spraying them with a special mould called Penicillium Candidum, which then forms the edible rind!
Preheat the oven to 400F, 200C, Gas 6.
Boil the potatoes until just soft. Drain.
Heat the olive oil in a frying-pan.
Saute the onions slowly until soft.
Add the tomatoes , gently turning them over after a minute.
Put the pan aside.
Cook the butter and sugar in a pan, stirring until it just turns a caramel colour.
Tip it into a 9 inch tin or flan dish, spreading it over the bottom.
Slice the potatoes about ½ inch thick, cutting off the ends, and place them fitted together to cover the bottom of the dish.
Fit the tomatoes and onion in the gaps between the potatoes, placing the tomatoes skin side down, gently pressing them down.
Cut the cheese thinly and lay the slices on top of the potato slices.
Lay the pastry over the dish, cutting off the surplus pastry and tucking the edges underneath and pressing them down to neaten them.
Bake the tart for 25 minutes, then turn the heat down to 300F, 250C, Gas 2 and bake for a further 15 minutes until it’s a dark golden colour and obviously cooked.
Remove from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes to set.
Gently slip a knife round the edge to loosen it.
Invert a large plate on top of the tart, then carefully but quickly turn the tart upside down, then lift off the plate.
The tart should have dropped out and will show off its pattern.
Let it cool slightly before serving.
Serve it with a salad, or take it on a picnic.
