Heirloom Tomato Tarts with Bacon and Goats Curd
These make a delicious small bite or lunch. Goat curd is available at a deli or cheese shops or some supermarkets. If you can't find goat curd and a bit of cream to goat cheese and stir so you can spoon it
Ingredients
Pastry
- 300 gm flour
- 150 gm butter cubed
- 1 whole egg
- 60 ml cold water OR enough to measure up to 100 ml, beaten together
Filling
- 100 gm goat curd
- 150 ml thickened cream
- 1 whole Egg large
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
- 250 gm bacon with out rind
- 300 gm heirloom tomatoes
- 40 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Oven temperature 180 C/ 350 F
- Put the flour and butter into the food processor. Process until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg water mixture ( leaving 1 Tablespoon behind- you can always add more but you can't take it out) and pulse. Only add the remainder of the egg if the mixture still looks dry. Process until a ball forms. ( a very wet pastry is not crispy)
- Turn out and rest minimum 1/2 hour or overnight.
- Roll out to 2mm thick and line small tart cases or 1 large 20 cm tin. Rest again, up to 20 min ( or freeze 10 min)
- Bake the cases blind till golden.
- Cut the bacon into 5-6 cm pieces and saute till crispy drain and keep warm.
- Put the tomatoes into the oven and roasted on 180 C/350 F ( this could be at the same time as the tart cases) until just cooked ( approx 10 min or until just bursting).
- Once the pastry and tomatoes are roasted turn the oven down to 160 C/ 340 F.
- Mix the curd, egg and thickened cream in a bowl with seasoning until well combined.
- Spoon some of the mixture into the tart cases filling almost to the top. Bake for approx 20 min or until just set.
- Serve these tarts with beetroot relish.
- To vary, you could add parmesan to the curd mixture,or chopped soft herbs.
- Serve with or without bacon .