Pears in wine, apples pancakes and custard

This is a triple dessert. You can prepare it as in my presentation or you can use just one of the three and even so have a fabulous dessert: pears in wine, apples pancakes or custard.

Pears in wine, apples pancakes and custard

Ingredients for the pears in wine:

4 small ripe william pears, peeled

400 ml of red wine

200 ml of water

80 gr of sugar

the skin of 1/2 orange

1 vanilla stick, graven by its length

1 cinnamon stick

1 clove

4 grains of pink pepper

a small piece of fresh ginger, 2 cm (or 2 pinches of ginger powder)

1 pinch of nutmeg

How to prepare the pears in wine:

Put all the ingredients, apart from the pears, in a pot (choose a pot of medium size, in order for the pears to be covered by the liquid when you will add them), cover with a lid and bring to the boil. When the liquid starts to boil, add the pears and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes, until the pears are tender.

Remove from the stove. Let cool and then put in the fridge for 12 hours.

Take the pears out of the liquid. Put the pot with the liquid back on the stove and boil until it will become like syrup (this might take around 15 minutes, but be careful because you risk to burn the sugar if you boil it too long). Then filter the liquid and discard the spices.

If you like to serve the pears on their own, prepare four individual bowls with a pear each and 2-3 spoons of wine syrup on the top.

Ingredients for the apples pancakes:

4 French (thin) pancakes

2 apples, peeled and diced

2 tbsp of sugar

1 knob of butter

1 cinnamon stick

4 tbsp of water

How to prepare the apples pancakes:

Put the apples, the sugar, the butter, the cinnamon and the water in a small pot. Cook covered on medium heat until the apples are tender. Then take the lid and cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the liquid. Take the pot from the stove and let cool.

Discard the cinnamon stick. Put 2-3 spoons of apples in the middle of each pancake and fold them in order to form four small packets.  Put the small packets on a backing tray covered with backing paper. Heat in the oven at 180⁰C for 5 minutes.

If you like to serve the apples pancakes on their own, prepare for individual plates with a pancake each. Then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Ingredients for the custard:

300 ml of milk

3 egg yolks

80 gr of sugar

3 tbsp of all-purpose flour

1/2 vanilla stick, graved by its length

 

How to prepare the custard:

Put the vanilla stick and the milk in a saucepan. Heat the milk on the stove until it will start to boil, then switch off and let it cool for 10 minutes, and then discard the vanilla stick. In a large microwave-proof bowl whisk the egg yolks with the sugar using a mixer. Whisk them for a few minutes until you will obtain a light yellow soft cream. Now add the flour and whisk again. Then, whisking all the time, pour the milk into the egg cream.

Now put the bowl in the microwave at maximum power for 1 minute. Then take it out, whisk and put it back for another minute. Stir it again and check if it is ready; the custard should now be dense. If the cream is still too loose put it back in the microwave for a minute more. Then let it cool.

If you like to serve the custard on its own. Prepare 4 individual bowls and pour in the custard. Decorate with two leaves of mint or a candy cherry.

For the whole presentation:

Prepare four plates. Spread in the middle of each plate 2 spoons of custard, add one apples pancake and one pear in wine, and then decorate with a little wine syrup.

 

 

Vegetables TarteTatin

The Tarte Tatin is a classical French cake usually made with apples, brisée pastry, butter and sugar. Its peculiarity is that it is baked upside down. Therefore, the filling becomes soft and caramelized and the pastry crispy.

This colorful Vegetables Tarte Tatin follows the same process, but I replaced the apples with some fresh vegetables. You can use any vegetable you prefer; in this case, I choose baby carrots, zucchini, yellow peppers and baby spinach. So, not only it is a tasty way of serving vegetables but it is also very quick and easy to prepare (to make it even quicker you can use ready to bake brisée pastry).

Vegetables Tarte Tatin

Ingredients for the brisée pastry:

200 gr all-purpose flour

100 gr butter

60 to 80 ml cold water

a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the tarte:

1 zucchini

100 gr baby carrots

1 yellow pepper, roasted

a bunch of coriander

80 gr baby spinach

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano

a pinch of salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

First prepare the dough for the brisée pastry. Put the flour, the butter and a pinch of salt in a mixer. Mix for a few seconds until you obtain a sandy result. Turn the flour mix on a worktop and make a well in the middle. Little by little add the cold water and knead, until the dough will be smooth. Try not to knead the brisée dough longer than 2 minutes, because you should avoid the melting of the butter. Then wrap the dough in a piece of cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven at 180° C.

Now wash the vegetables. Cut the zucchini in sticks. Halve the baby carrots. Chop the coriander. Peel the yellow pepper and cut it in stripes.

Parboil the zucchini and the carrots in hot salted water for 2 minutes. Then drain and put aside.

Cover a round tin with baking paper. Brush it with the melted butter. Then sprinkle with the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Nicely arrange the vegetable in the backing tin, they will be on the top of your tarte: first the carrots and the pepper, then the zucchini and the coriander. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper and, finally, cover with the baby spinach.

Take the dough from the fridge and on a clean worktop roll it out. Cover the vegetables with the dough and with a fork make some holes on the top of it. Then put the tarte in the oven for around 30 minutes.

When the tarte is ready, take it out from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then turn the tarte tatin on a serving plate and carefully remove the baking paper.

Serve warm with a perfumed white wine.

With this recipe I take part to the contest:

More information at: http://fiordirosmarino.blogspot.com/2012/04/io-le-verdureil-mio-nuovo-contest.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FiorDiRosmarino+%28Fior+di+rosmarino%29

Pesto Lasagna

Baking a gorgeous lasagna is not difficult as it seems, and when you will cook for the first time your own lasagna you will not order it in a restaurant any more, honestly!

Today I will share with you my secrets about how to prepare an awesome Pesto Lasagna.  There are some advantages in it compared to the traditional one: it is quicker to prepare, the pesto sauce needs no cooking, and also the vegetarian guests will be able to enjoy it!

There are 4 main ingredients in my Pesto Lasagna: fresh pesto sauce, béchamel sauce (white sauce), boiled vegetables, and, of course lasagna noodles.

Pesto Lasagna

Ingredients for 8:

500 gr of lasagna noodles

200 gr of potatoes, boiled

200 gr of french beans, boiled

50 gr of butter

a handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Ingredients for pesto sauce:

150 gr of fresh basil leaves

100 gr of pine nuts

50 gr of Parmigiano Peggiano cheese

1/2 garlic clove

6 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

50 ml of boiling water

a pinch of salt

a pinch of black pepper

Ingredients for the béchamel sauce:

100 gr butter

1 l of whole milk

12 tbsp of flour

1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

a pinch of salt

How to prepare:

First, blanch the lasagna noodles for a couple of minutes in salted boiling water. Then drain (keeping some hot water for the pesto sauce) and dry sheet by sheet on a cloth.

Put all the ingredients for the pesto sauce in a blender and blend until you will have a smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick add some more water. The final result has to be rather fluid because the lasagna will need some moist for the baking.

Heat the milk in a pot. In a saucepan melt the butter and whisk in the flour. When the butter and the flour are well mixed, take the sauce pan from the stove and start to pour in little by little the hot milk whisking all the time with a whisk. You should obtain a thin sauce without lumps. Now, if you have a microwave, transfer the sauce in a microwave safe bowl and put it in the microwave at maximum power for 2 minutes. Then take it out, whisk it and put it back in the microwave for another 2 minutes. Whisk again and if the sauce is too thin repeat the process one last time. If you do not have a microwave, put the saucepan back on the stove at low/medium heat and bring the sauce to boil whisking all the time. When the sauce will be thick enough take it from the stove. Finally, season the béchamel sauce with salt and ground nutmeg, and let it cool.

Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into slices of around 1 cm thickness.

Mix the pesto sauce with 2/3 of the béchamel sauce. Taste and add more salt if necessary. You will use the rest of the béchamel sauce for the topping.

Preheat the oven at 200° C.

Grease a backing tray (35x25x7 cm or similar) with 2-3 tbsp of butter. Put one first layer of sauce, followed by one layer of lasagna noodles, and finally one layer of boiled vegetables (french beans and potatoes). Go on like this until you finish your ingredients, the last layer has to be a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the lasagna with the béchamel sauce that you previously put aside. Lastly garnish with some butter flakes and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano cheese.

Put the lasagna in the oven on the middle rack and bake it for 40 minutes. The lasagna is ready when on the top there is a nice golden crust. Serve it hot.

You can prepare the lasagna even from the day before and bake it only at the last moment.

Goat Cheese Salad

The Goat Cheese Salad can be a fresh appetizer or a light meal. With its bright colors it is a perfect dish for your Easter lunch table. Lamb’s lettuce is tender and sweet. Cherry tomatoes give freshness. Goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes are tasty. Finally, the balsamic dressing perfectly matches the flavours.

Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients for 6:

100 gr of lamb’s lettuce, washed

100 gr of mixed tender leaf salad, washed

20 cherry tomatoes, washed and halved

200 gr of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

200 gr of fresh goat cheese, cut in slices of around 1,5  cm

Ingredients for the balsamic dressing:

8 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of honey, I used mint honey

a pinch of salt

a pinch of freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

First prepare the dressing. In a small bowl put all the ingredients for the dressing and whisk them with a fork until you have a homogeneous sauce. Taste and if necessary adjust salt and pepper.

Put the salads in a bowl and pour the balsamic dressing into it. Mix well. Then transfer the salad onto a large serving plate.

Now, nicely arrange the cherry tomatoes, the sun-dried tomatoes and the goat cheese on the top on the salad. Serve the Goat Cheese Salad with fresh bread or croutons.

Do not dress the salad earlier than 30 minutes before or it will become flabby and loose its volume.

Sun-dried Tomatoes Whirls

A quick, easy and tasty snack for your weekend. Only 3 ingredients and 20 minutes in the oven. Have a lovely weekend :-)

Sun-dried Tomatoes Whirls

Ingredients for 20 whirls:

1 rectangular sheet of puff pastry

200 gr of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

100 gr of cheese, like cheddar

How to prepare:

Preheat the hoven at 180° C.

In a blander put the sun-dried tomatoes and the cheese, if necessary add a drop of olive oil. Blend the cheese and tomatoes until they are reduced in small chunks.

Unroll the puff pastry and spread it with the tomatoes and cheese mixture. Now roll the puff pastry along the long side. Now slice the roll that you obtain creating small whirls of around 1,5 cm thickness.

Put the whirls on an oven dish covered with baking paper and bake them for around 20 minutes, until they are golden. Then take from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. The Sun-dried Tomatoes Whirls are good both warm and cold. 

Broccoli and Pumpkin Soup

Healthy food can be colorful and tasty. If you don’t believe it try this delicious soup!

Broccoli and Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients for 4:

700 gr of pumpkin (skinned and cubed)

700 gr of broccoli florets (washed)

2 medium potatoes (skinned and cubed)

800 ml of vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

1/2 clove of garlic (peeled)

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

4 tbsp of double cream

salt and pepper

How to prepare:

Pour the extra virgin olive oil in a large pot and heat it on the stove at low heat. Add the 1/2 garlic clove and brown it for a couple of minutes. Keep a few cubes of pumpkin and four broccoli florets aside for garnishing. Put the rest of the pumpkin and the broccoli together with the potatoes in the pot. Rise the heat to medium and sweat the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the hot stock. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft (around 20 minutes).

Take the pot from the stove and, using a blender, whiz the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast the remaining pumpkin cubes in the oven until they start to brown. Boil the remaining broccoli in salted water for 3-4 minutes, then drain.

Serve the Broccoli and Pumpkin Soup in individual portions, garnished with a tablespoon of cream, one broccoli floret and a few cubes of pumpkin.

Lemon Linguine

Fresh, delicate and very perfumed, these Lemon Linguine are a perfect first course.

Lemon Linguine

Ingredients for 2:

250 gr of fresh egg linguine (or egg noodles)
zest of 1 lemon
150 ml of single cream
a bunch of chives
2 tbsp of butter
a handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
salt and pepper

How to prepare:

Put a large pot full of water on the stove at maximum heat.

Chop the lemon zest julienne.

Put the butter in a large pan and melt it on the stove at low heat.

Add the lemon zest (keep a small part of it aside for decoration), stir and cook for around 5 minutes.

Then add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the sauce at medium heat for a couple of minutes.

When the water in the pot is boiling add 2 tbsp of salt and the linguine.

Cook the pasta for the recommended time, and then drain it.

Add the pasta into the same pan where the sauce is reducing and stir well. Add a handful of grated Parmigiano, some finely chopped chives and stir again.

Arrange the Lemon Linguine in individual portions and garnish with some chives and lemon zest.

Serve immediately along with a bottle of aromatic white wine.

Sweet Pancakes (Blynai)

These fluffy pancakes are typical of the Lithuanian tradition and they are really exceptional. The beat egg whites make the batter light and soft. And the sour milk gives to this recipe the right amount of fat without being greasy. Try them at any time of the day!

Sweet Pancakes (Blynai)

Ingredients for 15/20 small pancakes:

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of sour/fermented milk
2 large eggs
4 tbsp of white sugar
a pinch of salt
a drop of vanilla essence
2 tbsp of sunflower oil
jam or honey

How to prepare:

In a bowl beat the egg whites until stiff. In another bowl beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until you will have a light yellow and soft cream. Add the sour milk, the flour, the salt and the vanilla essence to the egg yolks and mix. Then add also the egg withes and mix gently from bottom to top.

On the stove heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non-sticky pan (you can also use butter, but in this case I prefer sunflower oil because its taste is more neutral). Portion the batter with a tablespoon (each pancake one tablespoon) and cook 5-6 pancakes per time, depending on how big is your pan. Fry on one side until they are golden (around 2 mins) than flip on the other side and complete the cooking. When the pancakes are ready, take them from the pan and keep them warm. Go on until you use all the batter and add more oil when necessary.

Serve the pancakes hot with jam or honey, I used strawberries and raspberries jam.

Rigatoni with Aubergines and Mozzarella

Yummy! This is the word that best describes this dish. Combine satisfying rigatoni, a smooth tomato sauce, succulent melted mozzarella, tasty fried aubergines and perfumed basil leaves and top with a crispy crust.

You can prepare this dish in advance and just put it in the oven for 15-20 mins before serving. Rigatoni are the perfect type of pasta for this preparation because they will keep their consistency even in double-cooking.

Serve along with a flavourful red wine.

Rigatoni with Aubergines and Mozzarella

Ingredients for 4:

400 gr of rigatoni pasta
2 medium aubergines
2 mozzarella cheese (2x125 gr)
1 can of tomato puree
150 ml of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
a bunch of fresh basil
salt
a pinch of ground black pepper

How to prepare:

Wash and slice the aubergines (1 cm thick). Sprinkle the slices with some salt, put them in a bowl and set them aside for 1 hour so that they will lose the water.

In a saucepan brown the peeled garlic cloves with 2 tbsp of olive oil at low heat. After a couple of minutes add the tomato puree, 50 ml of water and a few leaves of basil. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid and cook it at low heat for 15 mins stirring form time to time.

Wash the slices of aubergine and dry them with a cloth. In a large pan heat half of the olive oil. Then start to fry the aubergines. Put a few slices in the pan and fry for around 2 mins on each side (until they will be golden). When the aubergines are fried take them from the pan and dry them on kitchen paper. Proceed like this until you fry all the aubergines. When needed add more olive oil in the pan.

Put a large pot full of water on the stove at maximum heat. When the water in boiling add 2 tbsp of salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta for the recommended time. Then drain and dress with the tomato sauce.

Slice the mozzarella (1 cm thick).

In a large oven dish put half of the pasta and cover with half of the mozzarella and aubergine slices. Then put the remaining pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and aubergine slices, with the mozzarella on the top. Finally, put the rigatoni in the oven at 220 degrees for 15-20 mins.

Take out from the oven, decorate with some leaves of fresh basil and serve.

Fresh Fruits Tart

The countdown to St. Valentine’s Day already started. For the sweetest day of the year you need a special dessert to complete your romantic dinner. Here is a fruity idea:

Fresh Fruits Tart

Ingredients for the short pastry:

250 gr of white 00 flour
125 gr of butter
2 egg yolks
100 gr of white sugar
2 drops of vanilla essence (or ½ grated lemon peel)
a pinch of salt

Ingredients for the filling:  

250 cl of whole milk
100 gr of sugar
2 egg yolks
25 gr of white 00 flour
½  vanilla stick
250 gr of strawberries
250 gr of peaches in syrup
1 sachet of jelly powder

How to prepare:

Prepare the short pastry. Let the butter soften for 30 mins outside the fridge. Make a well in the flour. Add the sugar, the butter, the egg yolks, the vanilla essence and the salt. Knead all the ingredients for a few minutes, until the dough will be homogenous and compact (but do not knead it too much, because with the warmth of your hands the butter will start to melt and the dough will lose its consistency). After the dough its ready place it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven at 180° C.

Take the short pastry from the fridge and with a rolling pin roll it out on a sheet of backing paper. The pastry must have a slightly larger diameter than the round tin you will use for backing (around 25 cm diameter and 3-4 cm high) and a thickness of around 3 mm. Put the pastry together with the paper on the tin and cut the extra dough that goes over the borders. With a fork pierce the pastry. Put another sheet of backing paper on the top of the pastry and spread on it a couple of handful of rice (this will prevent the pastry from puff up in the centre while baking). Put it in the oven for 20-25 mins, until the borders will be golden. Then take the pastry from the oven, carefully remove the top sheet together with the rice, and let the pastry cool.

Prepare the custard cream. Make a cut on the length of the vanilla stick and put it in a saucepan together with the milk. Heat the milk on the stove until it will start to boil, then switch off and let it cool. In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks with the sugar using an electric whisk. Whisk them for a few minutes until you will obtain a light yellow soft cream. Now add the flour and whisk again. Then take the vanilla stick out of the milk, and, whisking all the time, pour the milk into the egg cream.

Now you have two possibilities: cooking the cream bain-mairie or in the microwave. If you do it bain-marie, you have to pour the cream into a saucepan; put a larger pot half full of water on the stove at medium high heat and when the water is boiling place the saucepan with the cream over it (with the bottom of the casserole in the boiling water).  With a wooden spoon stir the cream until it will have the density of a soft pudding (around ten mins). When the cream achieves the wanted density, take it from the stove and let it cool.

If you prefer the microwave (as I do, because is much easier), leave the cream in the bowl, and put it in the microwave at maximum power for 2 mins. Then take it out stir and put it back for another 2 mins. Stir it again and check if it is ready; the cream should now be dense. If the cream is still too loose put it back in the microwave for another 1 or 2 mins. Then let it cool.

Now wash the strawberries and cut them in thin slices. Drain the peaches and cut them in thin wedges.

Prepare the jelly following the instruction on the sachet.

Finally, take the tart from the tin and put it on a serving tray. Surround the tart with some aluminium foil, so that you will prevent from staining the tray while you will fill the pastry. Spread the custard cream on the tart and then arrange the fruits on the top. When the jelly is ready pour it on the tart, making sure that you will cover the entire surface. Now let the tart cool for a few hours (at least 2 or 3 hours) in the fridge. If you have the patience, or the time, wait until the next day, the tart will become even tastier! Serve with a bottle of chilly sweet wine, as Moscato, Malvasia or Porto.

Mushrooms Risotto

The secret of a creamy risotto does not stand in putting a couple of spoons of cream in it before serving, never! The secret is the starch of the rice, which blending in the soup during the cooking creates that wonderful texture.

Mushrooms Risotto

Ingredients for 4:

320 gr of rice (preferably an Italian rice as Arborio, Roma or Carnaroli. If you cannot find it use a long and large grain rice)

100 gr of porcini mushrooms (fresh, frozen or dry. If you use dry mushrooms put them in a glass full of warm water at least one hour before starting to cook)

1 l of stock (vegetables’ or meat’s) or a level spoonful of stock powder

200 ml of white wine

1 small onion

a spring of parsley

2 knob of butter

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

A handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

a pinch of salt

a pinch of fresh ground black pepper

How to prepare:

Warm up the stock (or dissolve the stock powder in 1 l of hot water). Finely chop the onion. Put it in a big pot with a knob of butter and the olive oil. Cook a low heat until the onion is lightly golden then add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of mins more. Now add the rice, turn up the heat at medium and roast the rice for 1 minute stirring all the time. Add the wine and stirring constantly let it evaporate. When the wine has evaporated, add enough hot stock to cover the rice and turn the heat to low. Stir and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the rice for around 20-30 mins stirring from time to time and adding more stock when necessary. After 20 mins taste a few grains of rice. When the risotto is ready the rice should be soft but not loose, it should still be stiff under your teeth.

Meanwhile the risotto is finishing its cooking, wash the parsley and chop it.

When the rice is cooked the risotto should not be dry, if it is add half ladle of stock, stir and cook for a few more seconds. Before serving adjust of salt and add the remaining butter, the Parmigiano and the parsley. Stir and serve the Mushrooms Risotto hot.

Vegetarian Ragú Tagliatelle

The recipe of the Vegetarian Ragú Tagliatelle comes from the kitchen of my good friend Sara. We shared the same flat when we were at university and we also shared a lot of gossipy dinners.

Since she did not like to eat meat, she taught me this recipe for cooking a delicious Ragú Tagliatelle without meat.

Vegetarian Ragú Tagliatelle

Ingredients for 4 portions:

500 gr of fresh pasta “tagliatelle all’uovo” type (or 400 gr of dry tagliatelle all’uovo)

2 medium carrots
2 medium zucchinis
1 small onion
5 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt (+ 1 tbs of salt for the water for boiling the pasta)
a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of vegetable stock powder
a handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

How to prepare:

Put a large pot full of water on the stove at maximum heat.

Finely chop the onion and put it into a large pan together with the extra virgin olive oil. Fry the onion at minimum heat.

Peel the carrots. Wash the zucchinis and cut their extremities. With a large-hole shredder grate the carrots and the zucchinis.

When the onion is light golden add the grated vegetables and a generous pinch of salt (carrots and zucchinis are usually quite sweet) and stir well. Then put the fire on medium heat and cover the pan with a lid. Let the vegetables cook covered for 2-3 minutes or until they do not start to let out their water. Then take the lid and add the pepper and the vegetable stock powder. Now cook the vegetables for around 10 mins stirring from time to time and adding some spoon of hot water if they become too dry.

When the vegetables are almost ready, put a spoon of salt in the pot with the boiling water and add the tagliatelle. Let them cook for the time recommended, then drain.

Turn the pasta in the same pan where the vegetables are cooking and stir well. Add a handful of Parmigiano and stir again.

Serve the tagliatelle in individual portions or in a large bowl along with a fresh dry but fruity white wine.

Vegetables tart

This is a delicious way to eat raw vegetables. It is healthy, tasty and it looks beautifully.

It is an exceptional appetizer and it is perfect for festive days. I prepared this tart for the first time for a New Year’s Eve dinner party. It was a colourful centre piece for my table and the guests just loved it.

Here is the recipe.

The Vegetables Tart

For the brisee pastry:

200 gr white flour
100 gr butter
70 ml cold water
a pinch of salt

For the filling:

250 gr cream cheese (like Philadelphia)
250 gr sweet gorgonzola (or soft blue cheese)
3 cherry tomatoes
5 radishes
A few clumps of broccoli
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1 small leek or 2 spring onions
1 Belgian endive
Chives

How to prepare:

To prepare the brisee pastry: make a well in the flour. Add the butter in small pieces and a pinch of salt. Start to knead. When the butter and the flour are mixed add the water and knead until the dough is smooth. Wrap the dough in a piece of clingfilm and put it in the fridge for cooling (40 mins).

Heat the oven at 180˚.  With the help of a rolling pin roll out the pastry on a piece of baking paper. Then put it on a round thin of 20-25 cm diameter. If needed cut the borders (you can use the exceeding pastry for preparing some small biscuits in the shape that you prefer and later use them for the decoration of the tart). Cook the tart in the hoven for around 20-25 mins checking it from time to time. Then take the pastry from the hoven and let it cool.

To prepare the filling: in a bowl mix the cream cheese with the gorgonzola (you can change the proportion in function of your taste). Wash the vegetables. Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves. Cut the radishes in four. Grate the carrot. With a potato peeler slice the zucchini by its length. Cut the leek in clumps. Pluck the leaves of the endive.

To assembly the tart: put the brisee pastry tart on a serving plate. Fill it with the cheese mixture. Then arrange the vegetables on the top. Finally, garnish with the chives and the little brisee biscuits.

You can prepare the tart even several hours before and then store it in the fridge until 30 mins before serving.