TOMATO PESTO TART

TOMATO PESTO TART

(Serves 8-10 as a side dish)

Optional to add pitted kalamata olives

1 roll    good quality puff pastry

400 g   red, yellow, green tomatoes, halved or quartered

            fresh thyme sprigs and some lightly chopped

30 ml   brown sugar

30 ml   olive oil

150 g   goats cheese or Boursin cheese, crumbled

            salt and black pepper to taste

PESTO (make your own or use a good quality store bought pesto of choice)

150 g   drained  sundried tomatoes (store-bought will be fine)

4          garlic cloves, crushed

            chilli to taste (you can use chilli flakes or freshly. chopped chillies

10 ml   brown sugar

70 ml   olive oil

            salt and black pepper to taste

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C and greasea loose-bottomed quiche baking tin OR rectangular tin
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface (about 5mm thick) to loosely fit the baking tin.
• Transfer the pastry to the baking tin and chill in fridge for 30 minutes
• Meanwhile make the pesto:Combine all the ingredients and use a stick blender to make the pesto.  Season to taste.  Keep aside
• Spread a thin layer of the pesto on the pastry – leaving a 1 cm border around the edge
• Top with the cheese and some thyme
• Arrange the tomatoes on top and season with the sugar, salt and black pepper.Add some more thyme and drizzle with half of the olive oil.   Add Olives at this stage (if using)
• Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes – until golden brown and cooked.Make sure the pastry is cooked and crisp
• Remove from the baking tin, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and serve.Garnish with fresh basil or thyme