COURGETTE, SWEET ONION AND ALMOND TART

COURGETTE, SWEET ONION AND ALMOND TART
By: Lorena Uriarte

A beautiful tart with crunchy almonds and caramelised onions.
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes (not including pastry)
Cooking time: 1 hour

Equipment: chopping board, knife, mandolin, measuring cup, wooden spoon, large pot, bowl and whisk.

Oven 180C

Ingredients
Topping
200g green zucchini
200g yellow zucchini or button squash
¼ cup olive oil
500g onions (about 3) halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons thyme, finely chopped
2 teaspoons rosemary, finely chopped
30g slivered almonds
1/3 cup crème frâiche or sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 prepared and baked pastry shell (see Pâte Brisée recipe)

Method
1. Cut zucchini and squash into 2mm thin slices.
2. In a colander, salt layers of zucchini and squash over a bowl and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot and gently cook onions, herbs, ½ teaspoon salt for 5 minutes.
4. Cover and gently cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally till very soft.
5. Remove onions from heat and season with salt and pepper, cool.
6. Rinse and pat dry the zucchini and squash.
7. Spread onion mixture into prepared pastry shell, scatter with almonds
8. Layer alternate overlapping rows of green zucchini and yellow squash on top of the onions.
9. Combine sour cream and egg, season and pour over the zucchini.
10. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

To serve:
Serve hot or at room temperature cut into slices.
Pair with a fresh garden salad.

PÂTE BRISÉE

PÂTE BRISÉE
By: Lorena Uriarte

This simple shortcrust pastry is essential for making quiches and tarts.

Serves: makes 1
Preparation time: 5 minutes + 2 hrs chilling time
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Equipment: Food processor, measuring cup, scales, tablespoon, rolling pin, cling film, tart tin, baking paper, pastry weights or rice/ beans

Heat oven to 180C

Ingredients
300gm plain flour (2 cups)
150gm cold unsalted butter, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons soda water, cold

Method:
1. Place flour, salt and butter into food processor and process till mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add soda water and pulse till mixture just comes together.
3. Turn onto a lightly floured bench and press into a ball. Do not knead it as it will toughen the pastry.
4. Press or roll into a flattened disc (for a round tin) or rectangle (for a rectangular tin) and wrap with cling film. Chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Roll pastry into a rectangle or circle large enough to line tart tin (around 4mm thin).
6. Place pastry into tin and press into the sides, trim by rolling over the top with the rolling pin. Chill 30 mins.
7. Bake blind for 20 minutes till pastry is pale golden. (line with baking paper and pastry weights or rice)
8. Remove paper and weights and bake another 10 minutes till pastry is crisp.
9. Pastry case is now ready for filling.